The Election Commission of India has unveiled a significantly expanded draft electoral roll for Assam, setting the stage for the crucial state assembly elections scheduled for next year. The draft, published on Saturday after a Special Revision (SR), reveals a total electorate of 2,52,02,775, marking a substantial increase of more than 18 lakh voters—a growth of over 7%—since the last revision in 2021.
A Purified Roll Amid Unique Challenges
This revision, termed a Special Revision instead of the usual Special Intensive Revision, was necessitated by Assam's unique demographic and legal landscape. The state is navigating the incomplete National Register of Citizens (NRC) process and specific citizenship rules, which include the contentious category of 'D' or 'Doubtful' voters. The draft roll lists 93,021 such D voters, whose citizenship status remains under legal scrutiny, rendering them ineligible to vote. They have not been verified in this exercise.
Excluding these D voters, the verified and eligible electorate stands at 2,51,09,754. Officials achieved 100% coverage through an extensive door-to-door verification drive that began on November 22, visiting over 61 lakh households across the state. Simultaneously, the purification drive identified 10,56,291 names for deletion due to deaths and relocations, and flagged 53,619 duplicate entries for correction.
"The purification drive aims to prepare an error free electoral roll by facilitating enrolment of eligible un-enrolled electors, correction of clerical errors... and removing names of deceased persons," the Election Commission stated.
Demographic Shifts and a Balanced Gender Ratio
The draft roll presents a fascinating demographic picture. Of the total 2.52 crore electors (including D voters), women slightly outnumber men. The data shows 1,26,28,662 women voters against 1,25,72,583 men. The rolls also include 379 voters registered under the 'others' gender category.
This expansion is part of a long-term trend of rapid electoral growth in Assam. Over the past two decades, the state's voter base has surged by a remarkable 74%, growing from 1.44 crore in 2001 to the current 2.52 crore. The most significant single jump was recorded in 2021, when 33.8 lakh voters (a 16.9% increase) were added to the rolls.
The Road to the Final List and Upcoming Polls
With the draft now public, the Election Commission has opened the window for claims and objections, which will run from Saturday until January 22, 2026. To facilitate this process, special campaigns will be conducted on January 3-4 and January 10-11, 2026, alongside Gram and Ward Sabhas in all panchayats and municipalities.
The final electoral roll is slated for publication on February 10, 2026. This will be the first state election in Assam to be conducted based on the new constituencies formed after the 2023 delimitation exercise. The creation of this larger, more scrutinised voter list, now exceeding 2.5 crore, sets the foundation for what is expected to be a high-stakes electoral battle in the state next year.
