Special summary revision: draft roll on 12 November, claims until 11 December in 17 states
Published · Updated
The Election Commission has ordered a voter-roll revision in 14 states and 3 UTs, with final rolls on 4 January 2027. The dates, the forms, and new limits on bulk deletion requests.
Original report · Explained
When is the draft roll, and what is the last date for claims, in the special summary revision? Draft electoral rolls will be published on 12 November 2026, and claims and objections can be filed until 11 December, under an Election Commission of India (ECI) order issued on 15 October 2026 for 17 states and Union Territories, Hindustan Times reported, citing the ECI's letter (Hindustan Times, 2026). Final rolls follow on 4 January 2027 (Hindustan Times, 2026).
The revision uses 1 January 2027 as the qualifying date and is ordered under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (Hindustan Times, 2026; The Hindu, 2026). We could not reach the ECI's own press note, so the dates below are as reported by Hindustan Times and repeated by Mint (Mint, 2026).
The 17 states and UTs in this revision
Fourteen states and three Union Territories are covered, The Hindu reported (The Hindu, 2026; Hindustan Times, 2026):
- States: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.
- Union Territories: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry.
Five of them face Assembly elections soon. Uttar Pradesh's Assembly term ends on 22 May 2027, and Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand go to the polls in March 2027 (The Hindu, 2026; Mint, 2026).
The rest of the country is on a different track.
States not covered yet, and why
Several states and UTs will get their schedule later because a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is under way there or has just ended, Hindustan Times reported (Hindustan Times, 2026). They include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Delhi, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura and Telangana.
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will follow later because of the weather (Hindustan Times, 2026).
The difference between the two exercises matters. A summary revision updates the existing list; an SIR rebuilds it (Hindustan Times, 2026). The last summary revision's final roll came out on 6 January 2025 (Hindustan Times, 2026).
For voters in the 17, these are the dates to know.
Every date in the schedule
One national schedule applies, according to the ECI letter cited by Hindustan Times (Hindustan Times, 2026):
- By 2 November: polling stations rationalised.
- 12 November: draft rolls published.
- 12 November to 11 December: claims and objections.
- By 28 December: claims and objections decided.
- 4 January 2027: final rolls published.
Polling stations will have at most 1,200 electors, sit within 2 km of voters, be on the ground floor, and keep families together (Hindustan Times, 2026).
Young people turning 18 later in 2027 can apply in advance: Form 6 applications are accepted for the qualifying dates of 1 April, 1 July and 1 October 2027 (Hindustan Times, 2026).
Which form to file depends on what needs fixing.
Form 6, 7 or 8: which one to file
Each form does one job, Onmanorama explained (Onmanorama, 2026):
- Form 6: enrol as a new voter, at 18 or over.
- Form 7: object to a name on the roll, or seek its deletion.
- Form 8: correct an entry or shift to a new address.
Onmanorama reported a Goa family who filed Form 8 and were told to apply again on Form 6 (Onmanorama, 2026).
Form 7 has also become the most contested of the three.
New limits on mass deletion requests
An ECI order of 9 October caps Form 7 filings to "discourage bulk filing", Hindustan Times reported (Hindustan Times, 2026). The electoral registration officer (ERO) must personally verify when:
- deletions exceed 2% of a polling station's electors; or
- one person objects in more than five cases.
Onmanorama reported controversy over bulk Form 7 filings in Karnataka, Telangana and West Bengal (Onmanorama, 2026). Mint reported that the Supreme Court has asked the ECI, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, to respond to a plea by Rahul Gandhi on SIR deletions (Mint, 2026).
Questions people are asking
Which states are in the special summary revision 2026?
Fourteen states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal, plus three UTs; the full list is above (The Hindu, 2026).
What is the last date for claims and objections?
11 December 2026; they open with the draft roll on 12 November (Hindustan Times, 2026).
When will the final electoral roll be published?
On 4 January 2027 (Hindustan Times, 2026).
Which form adds, deletes or corrects a name?
Form 6 adds a new voter, Form 7 objects or seeks deletion, and Form 8 corrects or shifts an entry (Onmanorama, 2026).
What happens next
Draft rolls come out on 12 November; check them before claims close on 11 December (Hindustan Times, 2026).
References
- Hindustan Times (2026) ECI orders special summary revision of voter rolls in 17 states. Hindustan Times. Available at: ECI orders special summary revision of voter rolls in 17 states (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
- India Today (2026) ECI special summary revision of electoral rolls in 17 states and UTs. India Today. Available at: ECI special summary revision in 17 states and UTs (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
- Mint (2026) Election Commission announces voter roll revision in 17 states, UTs. Mint. Available at: Election Commission announces voter roll revision in 17 states, UTs (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
- Ramjith, N.P.C. (2026) Election Commission's Forms 6, 7, and 8. Onmanorama. Available at: Election Commission's Forms 6, 7, and 8 (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
- The Hindu (2026) ECI announces Special Summary Revision of voters' list in 14 States and 3 UTs. The Hindu. Available at: ECI announces Special Summary Revision in 14 States and 3 UTs (Accessed: 15 October 2026).
How we did this
We compared four reports on the order published on 15 October 2026, from Hindustan Times, India Today, The Hindu and Mint. Only one gave the full schedule; none explained which form a voter should file. We combined the state list, the dates and the 9 October Form 7 limits, and added the form guide from Onmanorama. The ECI's own press note could not be reached, so every date is as reported from its letter.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 13 outlets across the spectrum: 31% left, 31% center, 38% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (3): The New Indian Express, The Hindu, The Federal
- Center (4): Tribune India, Mint, Hindustan Times, Onmanorama
- Right-leaning (5): Deccan Chronicle, India Today, Times of India, Times Now, Sunday Guardian
Sources
- Election Commission announces Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 17 states, UTs — Tribune India (center) ·
- EC announces Special Summary Revision of rolls in 17 states — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- EC announces Special Summary Revision of rolls in 17 states, mandates 'readable' versions — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- EC Orders Voter Roll Revision in 17 States, UTs — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- Election Commission announces voter roll revision in 17 states, UTs amid SIR row | Today News — Mint (center) ·
- ECI orders special summary revision of rolls in 17 states to update voter lists — Hindustan Times (center) ·
- Special Summary Revision of voter rolls in 17 states, UTs from Jan 1 — India Today (right-leaning) ·
- Election Commission's Forms 6, 7, and 8: How voter list procedures are triggering controversy across India — Onmanorama (center) ·
- Amid anti-SIR protests, ECI orders annual SSR to enrol voters in 17 States, UTs — The Hindu (left-leaning) ·
- Special summary revision of poll roll in 17 states — Times of India (right-leaning) ·
- Amid SIR row, EC orders special revision of voters' list in 17 states — The Federal (left-leaning) ·
- EC Announces Voter Roll Revision In 17 States: What Is SSR And How Does It Differ From SIR? — Times Now (right-leaning) ·
- ECI Voter List Revision 2026 in 17 States: What Is SSR, How Does It Differ From SIR, Which Form Should Voters Choose and What First-Time Voters Should Know? — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·