Assam draft voter roll: Claims open till Jan 22 with first-ever Gram Sabha scrutiny

Guwahati, Dec 30: The draft electoral roll for Assam, prepared after the Special Revision (SR) exercise, was published on December 27, with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) urging citizens to submit claims and objections by January 22 to ensure their names are correctly reflected ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference at Janata Bhawan on Tuesday, the CEO Anurag Goel said the process, this time, has been designed to be “exceptionally transparent”, with Gram Sabha-level public readings of the draft voter list.

“This is the first time this exercise will be done in Assam. People should not assume that submitting a form to the BLO automatically guarantees inclusion. The draft roll must be verified publicly. Any omission or error must be raised during the claims and objections period,” the CEO said.

As per Election Commission guidelines and the Electoral Roll Manual, the draft roll of each polling part will be read aloud in Gram Sabha meetings in the presence of village residents and local leaders. These meetings are scheduled for January 3, 4, 10, and 11, with dates to be finalised by respective District Commissioners.

“This ensures omissions or duplications are identified on the spot and corrective action is initiated immediately. This level of public scrutiny is being implemented for the first time in Assam,” the CEO said.

The claims and objections window will remain open till January 22, 2026. No forms will be accepted between January 23 and February 10, when the final electoral roll will be published.

If any grievance arises after publication, voters may approach the District Commissioner by February 15, provided the complainant belongs to the same constituency, said Goel.

Appeals against the DC’s decision can be made to the CEO, whose decision will be final. Any further challenge will lie with the courts.

“Elections are expected to be announced by late February or early March. Everything is on track so far, and we have held meetings with political parties,” the CEO added.

The draft roll lists 2,52,01,624 voters, reflecting a 1.35% increase over the previous final roll published on January 6, 2025.

Of these, 1,25,72,583 are male, 1,26,28,662 female, and 379 belong to the third gender, resulting in a gender ratio of 1,004 females per 1,000 males.

Assam now has 31,486 polling stations, with 1,830 new stations added.

• Highest number of electors: Dalgaon (Constituency 51) with 3,01,326 voters
• Lowest number of polling stations: Dhemaji (Datmat) with 126 booths
• Highest number of polling stations: Mankachar with 402 booths

The draft roll records 2,45,000 young voters aged 18–19, though Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have identified over six lakh eligible youth, many of whom are yet to submit forms.

Senior citizens aged 85 years and above number 1,36,546, while 2,02,433 voters are persons with disabilities. Service and postal electors stand at 6,03,314.

Between January 6 and December 25, 2025, during continuous updation, 7,86,841 voters were newly added, 4,47,196 names were deleted recording a net increase of over 3.3 lakh voters.

During the house-to-house verification conducted by more than 60,000 BLOs, 4,78,992 deceased electors and 5,23,680 shifted voters were identified. However, their names remain in the draft roll and will be deleted only after due process during the objections period.

Additionally, 53,619 duplicate entries have been flagged for correction.

Voters living away from their native place due to work can apply for inclusion using Form 6, while corrections can be made through Form 8. The Election Commission has appealed to citizens to complete all applications by January 22.

“This exercise aims to deliver an accurate, inclusive and error-free electoral roll. Public participation is crucial,” the CEO said.

The Special Revision is being carried out under the supervision of the Election Commission of India, with the Assam CEO’s office coordinating implementation across the state.