Uttarakhand to begin fresh voter registration drive on Nov 12

DEHRADUN Uttarakhand will begin its Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls on November 12, with January 1, 2027, set as the qualifying date, Chief Electoral Officer BVRC Purushottam announced on Thursday. The revision aims to facilitate voter registration for first-time electors and people seeking inclusion after their names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The announcement followed a meeting between Purushottam and representatives of recognised national political parties, where officials explained the schedule and procedures for the exercise. The draft electoral roll will be published on November 12. Voters can submit claims and objections between November 12 and December 11, while hearings will continue until December 28. The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on January 4, 2027. Citizens who turn 18 on or before January 1 will be eligible to register. Purushottam said his office received 100,744 applications through Form 6, used for fresh voter registration, during a special drive conducted between October 12 and 20. Officials also informed political representatives about restrictions on objections to prevent bulk misuse. An individual can submit up to 10 Form 7 applications during the claims period and up to five applications per month during continuous electoral roll updates. Meanwhile, the first-level checking of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines is scheduled to begin across the state on Friday. The exercise is part of preparations for the state elections expected early next year. Uttarakhand’s final electoral roll following the SIR was published on October 3, recording approximately 7.16 million electors. This represented a net decline of 10.1% from the 7.96 million electors recorded before the revision. The final list contained 25,164 more names than the draft roll published on July 14. Officials recorded 129,872 additions and 104,708 deletions during the claims and objections phase. The upcoming revision will provide another opportunity for eligible residents to seek inclusion in the electoral roll.