Guwahati: Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a Special Revision (SR) of Assam’s electoral rolls. The Commission clarified that this exercise must not be confused with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which is conducted in exceptional circumstances requiring voters to furnish documents for eligibility verification.
In Assam’s case, the EC has avoided SIR due to the state’s unique citizenship framework and the ongoing Supreme Court-monitored National Register of Citizens (NRC) proceedings.
What Makes SR Different from SIR?
The Special Revision ordered in Assam will require mandatory house-to-house (H2H) verification, but unlike SIR, no voter will be asked to produce documents to prove eligibility.
The final electoral roll will be published on 10 February 2026.
In its instructions to the Chief Electoral Officer, the EC confirmed that 1 January 2026 will be the qualifying date for inclusion in the rolls.
The revision process must ensure adherence to Article 326 of the Constitution — that every Indian citizen aged 18 or above, not disqualified under any law, and not mentally unsound, is enrolled as a voter.
What the EC Order Says About ‘D-Voters’
‘D-voters’ — individuals suspected to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, identified by the EC in 1997 — remain on the list but are barred from voting.
The Commission clarified:
- Their details will continue unchanged in the draft rolls.
- Any addition, removal, or modification can be made only upon receiving an order from a competent Foreigners Tribunal or a court.
Key Dates Announced for Assam
- Pre-revision activities: Begin Tuesday
- Special Revision (main process): 22 November – 20 December
- Draft electoral roll: 27 December
- Claims/objections: 27 December – 22 January 2026
- Disposal of claims: By 2 February
- Final roll publication: 10 February 2026
Why Assam Is Not Getting SIR
A senior official explained that conducting SIR would risk conflict between SIR data and NRC data, especially since:
- Assam has different legal norms and cut-off dates for determining citizenship.
- NRC was updated in 2019, but the final list is still pending publication as the matter is before the Supreme Court.
- Over 10,000 citizenship-related cases are still pending before Foreigners Tribunals.
The EC also avoided the term ‘summary revision,’ as it indicates a lighter process that does not require mandatory voter verification.
Under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, any revision conducted through a modified or special procedure is termed a Special Revision.
Role of BLOs During the Verification Process
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will be given a pre-filled register of existing voters. During field verification, they must:
- Identify voters who are deceased, registered at multiple locations, or permanently relocated
- Record corrections required under Detail 1 (existing voters)
- Register eligible but unlisted citizens under Detail 2
- Note down potential new voters under Detail 3
BLOs are required to make three mandatory visits to every household to obtain signatures and complete voter-to-voter verification.
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