Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will conduct a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in Odisha for 2027, with January 1, 2027, fixed as the qualifying date for voter eligibility.
In this connection, a meeting was held at the conference hall of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha, under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sushant Kumar Mishra.
Representatives of various political parties attended the meeting, where the methodology, prescribed timeline, and arrangements for conducting the revision smoothly, impartially, and transparently were discussed.
As of November 8, 2026, Odisha has 3,19,12,623 registered electors, comprising 1,62,51,443 male and 1,56,58,405 female voters. The state also has 2,775 third-gender electors, 3,86,185 young electors and 4,52,073 electors with disabilities.
Under the revision schedule, the rationalisation and reorganisation of polling stations will be completed by November 20, 2026. The integrated draft electoral roll will be published on November 30, followed by a month-long period from November 30 to December 30 for filing claims and objections relating to the addition, deletion and correction of names.
The claims and objections will be disposed of by January 16, 2027, and the final electoral roll will be published on January 21.
The Election Commission has prescribed different forms for voter registration and corrections in electoral records. Eligible citizens can use Form 6 to apply for inclusion of their names in the electoral roll, while Indian electors residing abroad can register through Form 6A. Form 7 can be used to object to the proposed inclusion of a name or seek deletion of an existing entry.
Form 8 is meant for reporting a change of residence, correcting details in the electoral roll, obtaining a new Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), and marking an elector as a Person with Disability.
Applications can be submitted online through the Voter Service Portal at https://voters.eci.gov.in. Electors can also submit the prescribed forms to the Booth Level Officer (BLO) of their respective polling stations.
The revision process will also accept advance applications for the subsequent qualifying dates of April 1, July 1 and October 1, 2027. These applications will be processed during their respective quarters.
To facilitate coordination at the polling station level, the CEO’s office has requested all recognised political parties to appoint one Booth Level Agent (BLA) for each polling station. The agents will coordinate with the respective BLOs during the revision exercise.
Each BLA can collect and submit a maximum of 10 Forms 6, 7 and 8 per day, subject to an overall limit of 30 forms during the claims and objections period. If an agent submits more than 30 applications in total, the Electoral Registration Officer (or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer will re-verify them. BLAs will also be required to submit a declaration confirming that they have personally verified the details provided in the applications.
Political parties have been requested to submit their suggestions and proposals before the polling station reorganisation plans are finalised.
As part of the transparency measures, the list of claims and objections will be published on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha. After publication of the list and its circulation to political parties, a minimum period of seven days will be provided, along with compliance with other legal requirements, before the claims and objections are disposed of.
The names of deceased electors, those who have permanently shifted, and those registered at more than one place will be deleted only after proper verification in accordance with the Election Commission’s directions.
The CEO’s office has also clarified that furnishing an Aadhaar number is voluntary for inclusion or retention of a name in the electoral roll. No application will be rejected, and no existing name will be deleted, solely because an elector has not submitted an Aadhaar number.
Electors aggrieved by a decision of the Electoral Registration Officer can file a first appeal before the District Magistrate under Section 24(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. A second appeal can be filed before the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24(b) of the Act.
Special registration drives and camps will be organised to enrol eligible citizens whose names are yet to be included in the electoral roll. The initiatives will particularly focus on young and first-time voters, women, third-gender persons, Scheduled Tribes and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, migrants, and other vulnerable sections.
Help centres will be established at the district and Assembly constituency levels. Every recognised political party will also receive one printed copy and one soft copy of the draft and final electoral rolls for each polling station free of cost.
The CEO’s office has emphasised that the active participation of recognised political parties is essential to ensure that all eligible citizens are included and an accurate, inclusive and error-free electoral roll is prepared. Political parties have been urged to create awareness and support the registration of eligible voters.
Additional CEO Sushant Kumar Mishra, Financial Adviser Sanjay Kumar Lugun, Joint CEO Gopinath Kuanr, Deputy CEOs Dr Laxmiprasad Sahu and Anamika Singh, other officers of the CEO’s office and representatives of various political parties attended the meeting.
