The Election Commission will publish the final voter list on January 4 after conducting a special summary revision across 17 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal. The exercise will allow eligible citizens to register, correct details or raise objections before the revised rolls are finalised.
The draft voter list will be published on November 12, with January 1 of the coming year set as the qualifying date for the revision. The Commission will also accept advance applications from people who will become eligible to vote on April 1, July 1 or October 1, 2027.
Citizens whose names have not been included despite being eligible, as well as new voters, will be able to apply for inclusion. The draft publication is intended to give voters an opportunity to submit applications and objections relating to additions, deletions and corrections in the electoral roll.
According to the schedule reported by Sangbad Pratidin, applications and objections can be filed until December 11 after publication of the draft list. The disposal of these applications and objections must be completed by December 28, before the final list is issued on January 4.
The Commission has directed election officials to exercise caution while identifying duplicate entries, deceased voters and people who have permanently moved elsewhere. A voter’s name cannot be removed without following the prescribed verification process and ensuring that the person receives an opportunity for a hearing.
Except in cases involving death, officials must issue an individual notice to the concerned voter before proceeding with a proposed deletion, according to the instructions cited in the report. The requirement is intended to ensure that roll-cleaning does not remove eligible voters without due process.
The revision will also involve changes to polling-station arrangements. The Commission has instructed authorities to complete the rationalisation and reorganisation of polling stations by November 2. No polling station should have more than 1,200 voters, and officials must ensure that voters do not have to travel more than two kilometres to cast their ballots.
The instructions further ask authorities to try to place members of the same household at the same polling station and in the same part of the electoral roll. These arrangements connect the accuracy of the voter list with the physical accessibility of the polling process, particularly for households that may otherwise be assigned to different locations.
The final list will therefore reflect both the outcome of the registration and correction process and the authorities’ verification of existing entries. The next scheduled milestone is the publication of the draft voter list on November 12, followed by the deadline for applications and objections on December 11.
