ECI Announces Special Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls in Gujarat

Gandhinagar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in Gujarat and 16 other states and Union territories, with January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said on Thursday.

The final electoral roll will be published on January 4, 2027, following a month-long period for filing claims and objections.

The exercise aims to include all eligible citizens who turn 18 on or before January 1, 2027. The ECI will also accept advance applications from prospective voters who will turn 18 by the subsequent qualifying dates of April 1, July 1 and October 1, 2027.

In a statement, the CEO’s office urged eligible citizens, particularly young people registering for the first time, to apply within the prescribed period to enrol their names or seek corrections in the electoral rolls.

How is SSR different from SIR?

Unlike a Special Summary Revision, which primarily focuses on enrolling new voters and making routine corrections, a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) involves more extensive verification, including house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), scrutiny of electoral entries and detailed data checks.

For instance, during an SSR, a voter who changes residence generally needs to submit an application to update their address. During an SIR, a BLO physically verifies voter details, checks whether the person still resides at the registered address and identifies newly eligible voters.

The SIR exercise has sparked political controversy, with opposition parties expressing concerns about potential deletions of voters’ names and the risk of eligible citizens being excluded from electoral rolls.

The Election Commission, however, has maintained that the exercise aims to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls by removing duplicate and ineligible entries, including those of deceased voters, while ensuring that all eligible citizens are included. DeshGujarat