ECI orders special summary revision of rolls in 17 states to update voter lists

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday ordered a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union Territories, setting January 1, 2027 as the qualifying date. It is the first SSR since the January 2025 round, whose final rolls were published on January 6, 2025.In its letter to the CEOs, the Commission stated that the existing rolls would be revised under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The revision covers “the states where elections to the Legislative Assemblies are due early next year”.SSR different from SIRThe SSR is a separate exercise from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which has been at the centre of a political and legal dispute. An SIR rebuilds the list from scratch, while a summary revision makes incremental corrections. The SSR is also meant to be annual.