New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a sweeping directive to all states, mandating a comprehensive and time-bound review of electoral rolls across the country. The nationwide initiative is set to begin by September 30, with states instructed to complete the groundwork and launch the verification process within the next 10 days.
According to the directive, states must carry out a “special and intensive” verification of voter lists to ensure accuracy, eliminate discrepancies, and prevent irregularities. Chief Electoral Officers in each state will oversee the process, and once completed, updated electoral rolls will be published for public access. Some states have already released revised lists based on earlier verifications, but the Commission now seeks uniform action across all regions.
The Commission emphasized that a crucial objective of this drive is to identify and remove ineligible names, including suspected illegal foreign nationals who may have been enrolled unlawfully. Reports of infiltrations from neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar have heightened concerns, prompting authorities to tighten checks on voter eligibility. The initiative also aims to prevent duplication and ensure that only legitimate citizens exercise the right to vote.
This directive comes after years of relative inaction on thorough voter list reviews. In Delhi, the last deep verification exercise was undertaken in 2008, while Uttarakhand carried out a similar review back in 2006. Many other states last conducted such extensive checks between 2002 and 2004. The long gap has raised fears of outdated data and compromised accuracy, especially with large-scale migration and demographic changes over the years.
The Election Commission’s move carries significant weight as several states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal, and Assam, are scheduled to face legislative assembly elections in 2026. The cleanup of voter rolls is seen as a critical step in ensuring transparency and credibility in the upcoming electoral contests. The exercise is also expected to minimize disputes over bogus voting, duplicate entries, and inflated rolls issues that have frequently triggered political controversies in the past.
By pushing states to act swiftly, the Commission hopes to set a standard of preparedness well before election season begins. A clean and verified electoral roll is regarded as the foundation of free and fair elections, and the 10-day timeline reflects the urgency of restoring public trust in the electoral process. The updated lists will not only benefit upcoming assembly polls but will also lay the groundwork for the 2029 General Elections.