Ahead of 2026 Assembly Polls, ECI Orders 'Special Revision' of Voter List in Assam

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed a ‘Special Revision’ of the electoral rolls in Assam ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The move positions the state for a more rigorous updating of its voter list—an exercise that stands between the annual Special Summary Revision and the more exhaustive Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

According to instructions issued by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Assam, January 1, 2026 has been fixed as the qualifying date for the Special Revision. The decision follows the completion of the two-phase Assembly elections in Bihar, where the SIR exercise was first carried out successfully.

The ECI order notes that a series of preparatory steps must be completed before the draft electoral roll is published.

"The revision of electoral rolls actually starts with draft publication," the directive reads. "Various pre-revision activities are required to be completed well before the commencement of the revision, with the sole intention of achieving high-fidelity electoral rolls."

Welcoming the move, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured full cooperation from the state government. 

"The Government of Assam welcomes the Election Commission of India’s decision to undertake a Special Revision of the electoral roll with 01.01.2026 as the qualifying date," he posted on X. "This will help ensure clean, updated and accurate electoral rolls for all eligible citizens."

The Govt of Assam welcomes the Election Commission of India’s decision to undertake a Special Revision of the electoral roll with 01.01.2026 as the qualifying date.
This will help ensure clean, updated and accurate electoral rolls for all eligible citizens.
Assam will extend…

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 17, 2025

The Special Revision comes a month after the ECI announced SIR drives in several states and Union Territories—Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep. Among these, elections are due next year in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

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