Election Commission bars transfer of officials on voter roll revision work in Uttar Pradesh without its approval

Lucknow: The Election Commission of India has issued directions that restrict the transfer of officials associated with the Special Summary Revision (SSR) programme of the electoral rolls of assembly constituencies based on the qualifying date of January 1, 2027.

Officials involved in the revision work shall not be transferred from the draft publication to the final publication without the Commission's permission, the poll body said.

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According to a press release issued by the office of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer, under Section 13 CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, officers associated with the preparation, revision, and amendment of electoral rolls are deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission of India, and during the period they are so deployed, they function under the control, supervision, and discipline of the Commission.

As per the schedule determined by the Commission, the draft publication of the integrated electoral roll will be done on 12 November, 2026. During the process of Special Summary Revision-2027, claims and objections will be received from 12 November to 11 December, 2026, which will be disposed of as per rules by 28 December, 2026. Thereafter, the final publication of the electoral roll will be done on 04 January, 2027.

As per the directions of the Election Commission of India, during the revision period, the posts of District Election Officer, Electoral Registration Officer, and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer, including other officials engaged in the revision work, will not be left vacant. At the same time, no official associated with the Special Summary Revision work will be transferred without the prior permission of the Commission, the release stated.

The concerned departments have been informed regarding the directions of the Election Commission of India. The work of Special Summary Revision-2027 of the electoral roll will be carried out smoothly, transparently, and in an organised manner within the stipulated time frame, it added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the ECI issued directives to 17 States and Union Territories to undertake a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls, setting January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date.

The exercise is being initiated under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, aimed at updating voter rolls and enrolling eligible electors.

The 17 States and Union Territories included in this phase are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

The letter stated that the schedule for states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is ongoing or has recently concluded, including Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Delhi, would be announced separately. The schedule for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, where the exercise is yet to begin, will also be notified later, taking local weather conditions into account.

As per the timeline, polling stations will be rationalised by November 2. The draft electoral rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, followed by a period for filing claims and objections until December 11. These submissions will be processed by December 28, while the final electoral rolls are expected to be released on January 4, 2027.

The Commission emphasised that the ERO of the concerned assembly constituency shall be responsible for ensuring that no eligible citizen is left out while no ineligible person gets included or remains in the Electoral Roll.