The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the electoral rolls in West Bengal, with 1 January 2027, set as the qualifying date.
According to the schedule, the draft electoral roll will be published on Friday, while the final voter list will be released on 16 January 2027.
The schedule was announced in a notification issued by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal on Friday.
In accordance with the Election Commission’s directive dated 28 October, the process of rationalisation and reorganisation of polling stations is scheduled to be completed by 13 November.
According to the notification, voters will be able to submit claims and objections regarding the draft electoral roll from 23 November to 22 December.
All claims and objections will be examined and disposed of by 8 January 2027. The final electoral roll will subsequently be published on 16 January.
The Election Commission said the revision exercise aims to include the names of eligible citizens who have been left out of the electoral roll, as well as those who will attain the age of 18 on 1 January 2027.
Voters will also have the opportunity to correct errors in their existing electoral details. To facilitate the process, special campaign days will be organised at designated polling stations across the state on 28 and 29 November, and 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 December.
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will remain present at the polling stations on these days to assist citizens with the enrolment of new voters and the submission of claims and objections.
Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties have also been requested to remain present.
This year’s revision exercise will place special emphasis on organising voters’ residential addresses systematically.
Voters’ names will be arranged according to house and flat numbers. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will be responsible for ensuring that members of the same family or residents of the same building are not unnecessarily assigned to different polling stations.
The notification has also directed officials to replace blurred or defective photographs in the electoral rolls with clear and standard-quality images.
The names of deceased voters and those who have permanently shifted elsewhere will be removed from the rolls through Form 7, following the prescribed procedure.
It may be recalled that the office of the Chief Electoral Officer held a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties on 3 November to discuss the revision exercise.
West Bengal Additional Chief Electoral Officer Arindam Niyogi has urged all eligible citizens in the state to actively participate in the process to ensure the preparation of an accurate and inclusive electoral roll.
