Guwahati, December 27, 2025: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday released the draft electoral rolls for Assam following the Special Revision (SR) exercise, ahead of the state’s assembly elections scheduled early next year. The exercise has resulted in the deletion of a total of 10,56,291 names from the electoral rolls, citing reasons such as deaths, migration, or duplication of entries. This marks a significant step in the process of updating and purifying the voter database in the state, ensuring that only eligible citizens are registered to cast their votes.

The Special Revision in Assam was necessitated in light of the ongoing revision of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which remains incomplete. Unlike the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted in other states, the SR in Assam focused on updating the rolls without requiring physical verification of supporting documents. This revision aimed to remove outdated or inaccurate entries while providing opportunities for eligible voters to register or update their details voluntarily.

According to officials, 4,78,992 entries were removed due to deaths, 5,23,680 were deleted due to migration or shifting of residence, and 53,619 were identified as multiple entries, resulting in a total of 10,56,291 deletions. The SR exercise was conducted between November 22 and December 20, 2025, with January 1, 2025, taken as the qualifying date for voter eligibility.

During the revision, over 29,000 Block Level Officers and 2,578 supervisors visited 6.10 million households across Assam. This extensive administrative effort involved house-to-house verification, focusing primarily on ensuring that each eligible citizen had the opportunity to register as a voter, object to erroneous entries, or seek corrections in the rolls.

The ECI highlighted that Assam now has a total of 25.11 million registered voters, excluding 93,021 D-voters, who are classified as doubtful voters due to suspicions regarding their citizenship status. Of the total, there are 12.57 million male voters, 12.63 million female voters, and 379 voters who identify as others, reflecting the gender distribution across the state.

The Commission emphasized that the SR exercise was a meticulous administrative operation aimed at enhancing the integrity of the electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Unlike the SIR, which involves detailed document verification and multiple rounds of scrutiny, the SR focused on voluntary submissions by citizens for inclusion of new voters, updating existing entries, or raising objections against erroneous entries.

The next phase, the claims and objections period, will continue until January 22, 2026, allowing citizens to raise grievances or submit corrections to the draft electoral rolls. Following this, the final rolls, incorporating all modifications and corrections, will be published on February 10, 2026. This will mark the official preparation of electoral rolls that will be used during the upcoming state elections.

The Election Commission clarified that for an individual to be registered as a voter in Assam, certain primary criteria must be met. Firstly, the individual must be a citizen of India. Secondly, they must satisfy the minimum age requirement, which is 18 years on or before the qualifying date. Thirdly, the individual must be an ordinary resident of the constituency where they seek enrollment. Lastly, the person should not be legally barred from voting, which includes disqualifications under any law or being declared of unsound mind by a competent authority.

This SR exercise in Assam is particularly significant due to the political and administrative context of the state. Assam has been under the national spotlight due to the NRC process, which has sought to identify citizens and distinguish them from illegal immigrants. Although the SR does not directly verify citizenship, it helps align the electoral rolls with recent population changes and ensures that only eligible residents are included in the voter list.

Officials noted that the process required substantial logistical coordination, given Assam’s diverse geography, including hilly terrains and remote areas with limited accessibility. The involvement of tens of thousands of officials visiting millions of households reflects the scale and complexity of the administrative effort. The EC also highlighted the challenges posed by demographic changes, internal migration, and the presence of multiple entries in households, which necessitated careful verification and updating.

The deletion of over 10 lakh names has already sparked discussion and scrutiny among political parties and civil society groups in Assam. While the EC has maintained that these deletions are based on verified reasons such as deaths, migration, and duplications, some stakeholders have raised concerns about possible inadvertent exclusions or errors. The claims and objections period is intended to address these concerns and ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised ahead of the elections.

According to the EC, the Special Revision is distinct from the Special Intensive Revision conducted in other states. The SIR involves more rigorous verification procedures, including submission of supporting documents and physical verification by officials. In Assam, however, the focus was on voluntary participation, with citizens able to submit forms for inclusion or corrections. The SR exercise also coincides with preparatory measures for the assembly elections, highlighting the Commission’s efforts to maintain transparency, accuracy, and integrity in the electoral process.

In addition to updating voter data, the SR process serves a broader democratic purpose. By ensuring that only eligible citizens are registered, it helps safeguard the principle of one person, one vote. It also prevents duplications, reduces the risk of electoral fraud, and strengthens the credibility of the electoral system. The ECI has emphasized that a robust, accurate electoral roll is fundamental to free and fair elections, and that administrative diligence in this process is crucial to uphold democratic governance.

Officials have also noted that the SR process included outreach to marginalized and vulnerable populations, ensuring that women, tribal communities, and residents of remote areas had access to the registration process. With over 6 million households visited, the effort aimed to be inclusive and comprehensive, leaving minimal scope for eligible voters to be left out of the system.

The Assam Special Revision has been part of a series of measures by the ECI to prepare the state for upcoming elections. By identifying entries for deletion, updating voter information, and allowing citizens to file claims and objections, the EC has sought to enhance accuracy, transparency, and reliability of the electoral rolls.

Looking ahead, the final electoral rolls published in February 2026 will serve as the official list for the assembly elections, ensuring that only eligible voters can participate in the democratic process. The Commission has reiterated that citizens should actively check the draft rolls during the claims and objections period to confirm their registration status and rectify any discrepancies.

The Special Revision in Assam, with its deletion of over 10 lakh names, underscores the ongoing commitment of the Election Commission to maintain clean and credible electoral rolls. As the state moves closer to the 2026 assembly elections, these administrative measures are expected to facilitate a transparent, fair, and representative voting process, ensuring that every eligible citizen’s right to vote is preserved.