IndiaPosted at: Oct 15 2026 11:08PM


ECI allows advance voter enrolment on four qualifying dates, tightens checks on Electoral Rolls

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) The Election Commission of India has ordered a Summary Revision of electoral rolls under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, with January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date, allowing advance applications from prospective voters who will become eligible on four qualifying dates during 2027.
The order, dated October 15, lays down measures to facilitate voter enrolment, strengthen transparency and improve the participation of young, first-time and vulnerable electors.
As the exercise will be a Summary Revision, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will not conduct house-to-house visits.
Under the new arrangements, prospective electors eligible for enrolment on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1, 2027, will be able to submit advance applications.
The Commission has also directed the establishment of help desks at district and Assembly constituency levels, along with special drives and camps to facilitate enrolment, particularly among migrants and marginalised sections.
Targeted efforts will be made to improve registration among women, transgender persons, Scheduled Tribes, including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, the sick, the poor and other electors who may face difficulties accessing the enrolment process.
Emphasising coordination with political parties, the Commission has directed Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to hold weekly meetings with them and provide printed lists of claims and objections.
Supplements containing additions, deletions and modifications generated before publication of the draft electoral roll will also be shared.
Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Election Officers (DEOs) and EROs will hold regular meetings with political parties to explain the revision schedule, review claims and objections, and provide updates on the progress of the exercise.
BLOs will brief Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties on the schedule and procedure for the revision and jointly examine the draft electoral rolls with them to identify necessary corrections.
BLAs submitting application forms on behalf of electors will have to provide a list of the forms along with a declaration confirming that they have personally verified the particulars and are satisfied that the information furnished is correct.
The ECI has also prescribed arrangements for providing electoral rolls to political parties and candidates.
Copies of the draft and final rolls will be supplied to political parties in printed form and as readable PDF files. Before elections, recognised political parties' contesting candidates will receive, free of cost, a copy of the final electoral roll along with software-generated supplements.
Other persons can purchase copies from the ERO.
At polling time, candidates may also request an alphabetically arranged, readable PDF version of the electoral roll through the Returning Officer or DEO, to be provided on a pen drive or another electronic storage device.
To regulate requests for deletion of names, the Commission has referred to its October 9, 2026, letter prescribing maximum limits for the submission of Form 7, which is used to raise objections to the inclusion of names and seek deletions.
The provision forms part of the procedural safeguards governing claims and objections during the revision.
The Commission has further directed that super-checks be conducted by DEOs, roll observers and CEOs after orders are passed by EROs or Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), strengthening oversight of decisions taken during the exercise.
Where field verification establishes the need for additional polling stations, the district election officers will finalise them in consultation with political parties.
The order also provides for easier access to Elector Photo Identity Cards (EPICs).
Newly enrolled electors will be able to download electronic EPICs, or e-EPICs, through the ECINET application using a link sent by SMS to their registered mobile numbers.
Existing electors can download their e-EPICs through the ECINET mobile application or portal.
Physical voter identity cards will be delivered through Speed Post or the concerned BLO.
The Commission has reiterated that the custody and preservation of electoral rolls and related papers will be governed by Rule 32 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, with all statutory requirements to be followed strictly.
The Summary Revision is aimed at updating electoral rolls ahead of the 2027 qualifying dates, ensuring that eligible citizens are included and enabling political parties to monitor additions, deletions and corrections throughout the process.
By permitting advance applications for four qualifying dates, expanding enrolment assistance and strengthening verification and access to electoral records, the Commission has sought to make the revision more accessible while safeguarding the integrity of electoral rolls.
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Tags: #ECI allows advance voter enrolment on four qualifying dates# tightens checks on Electoral Rolls
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