Assam begins Special Revision of electoral rolls ahead of 2026 Assembly Elections

The Assam Election Commission on Tuesday, November 18, launched the Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls as part of preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections. The state-wide exercise aims to ensure that every eligible voter is correctly enrolled in the voter list as of the qualifying date, 1 January 2026.

Unlike the Summary Revision (SIR), the Special Revision will involve extensive field verification. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have begun door-to-door visits across all districts to authenticate voter details and update entries wherever required.

According to officials, BLOs will verify whether each listed voter is alive and residing at the registered address. In cases where a voter has passed away, Form 7 will be used to delete the name from the rolls. Similarly, if a resident of Assam is enrolled as a voter in another state, BLOs will facilitate inclusion in the Assam list through Form 8.

Individuals who have been evicted or relocated must also apply through Form 8 to update their voter registration at their new address. Once transferred, their names will be removed from the voter list of their previous residence.

BLOs will make up to three visits to a household if an eligible voter is not found during initial verification. All collected data will then be compiled to ensure accuracy before publication of the draft rolls.

To reduce voter density at polling stations, the Commission has decided that no booth will cater to more than 1,200 electors. This is expected to necessitate the creation of around 1,826 additional polling stations across the state, pending final district-level decisions.

Even after BLOs complete their field visits, citizens will have the opportunity to update or include their names in the voter list until February. Officials have urged eligible voters to complete the process at the earliest, as election dates are likely to be announced after February.

Voters can also submit complaints regarding their details to the District Election Officer within 15 days of the publication of the draft rolls. If grievances remain unresolved, the matter can be escalated to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

The state Election Department has deployed 61,553 Booth Level Officers—nominated by various political parties—to carry out the massive verification exercise.