Bhubaneswar, Nov 10: Odisha will undertake the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls for 2027, with January 1, 2027, set as the qualifying date.

The state has set November 30 as the date for publishing the draft electoral roll, while the final list of voters will be released on January 21, 2027.

The exercise will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The roadmap for the Special Summary Revision (SSR) was discussed at a meeting convened at the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha, on Tuesday. Chaired by Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sushanta Kumar Mishra, the meeting brought together representatives of different political parties to discuss the schedule and arrangements for conducting the exercise.

Odisha currently has 3,19,12,623 registered voters, according to figures available up to November 8, 2026. The total includes 1,62,51,443 male voters, 1,56,58,405 female voters and 2,775 voters belonging to the third-gender category. The state also has 3,86,185 young electors and 4,52,073 voters with disabilities.

As part of the revision exercise, the rationalisation and reorganisation of polling stations will be completed by November 20, 2026. The integrated draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on November 30.

The claims and objections period will run from November 30 to December 30, 2026. All applications and objections received during this period will be disposed of by January 16, 2027, and the final electoral roll will be published on January 21.

Eligible citizens can apply for inclusion in the electoral roll using Form 6, while overseas Indian voters can register through Form 6A. Form 7 is meant for filing objections to the inclusion of a name or requesting the deletion of an existing entry.

Form 8 can be used for changes arising from a shift of residence, correction of details in the electoral roll, issuance of a replacement Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and marking a voter as a Person with Disability.

Applications can be submitted online through the Voters' Service Portal (https://voters.eci.gov.in) or by submitting the prescribed forms to the concerned Booth Level Officer (BLO) at the respective polling station.

Advance applications will also be accepted for the subsequent qualifying dates of April 1, July 1 and October 1, 2027. These applications will be processed in the respective quarters.

The CEO's office has urged all recognised political parties to appoint one Booth Level Agent (BLA) for every polling station to coordinate with the respective BLOs during the revision process.

Each BLA will be allowed to collect and submit a maximum of 10 Forms 6, 7 and 8 per day, subject to an overall ceiling of 30 forms during the claims and objections period. Applications exceeding the prescribed limit will undergo re-verification by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO).

BLAs will also be required to furnish a declaration confirming that they have personally verified the details provided in the applications.

Political parties have been asked to submit their suggestions and proposals concerning the reorganisation of polling stations before the proposals are finalised.

To maintain transparency, the lists of claims and objections will be made available on the official website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha. A minimum clear notice period of seven days will be given after the publication of the lists and their distribution among political parties, as required under the applicable legal provisions, before the claims and objections are disposed of.

The names of deceased voters, individuals who have permanently shifted their residences and those found registered at multiple locations will be removed only after proper verification and in compliance with ECI guidelines.

Also Read: DoWR accelerates restoration of flood-damaged infrastructure across Ganjam

They also clarified that providing an Aadhaar number for inclusion or retention of a name in the electoral roll is completely voluntary. No application will be rejected, and no voter's name will be deleted, solely because of the failure to submit an Aadhaar number.

Meanwhile, voters will have the right to appeal against decisions taken during the revision process. An appeal against an order passed by the Electoral Registration Officer can be filed before the District Magistrate, who serves as the first appellate authority, under Section 24(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. A second appeal can subsequently be filed before the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24(b) of the Act.