The State Election Commission (SEC) of Odisha has initiated comprehensive preparations for the upcoming Panchayat and Municipal elections scheduled for 2027.
To ensure an accurate, transparent, and error-free electoral roll, the SEC will conduct a statewide door-to-door voter survey from Oct 26 to Nov 7.
State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi announced that the intensive verification drive aims to enrol eligible new citizens while identifying and removing duplicate, deceased, or shifted voters. Data collection and digitisation will proceed concurrently throughout the campaign.
Political parties have been requested to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) across all polling stations and submit their details to the respective Assistant Electoral Registration Officers by Oct 15. Depending on the jurisdiction, submissions will be managed by Block Development Officers (BDOs) in rural areas, Executive Officers in Municipalities/NACs, and Deputy or Assistant Commissioners in Municipal Corporations.
The SEC confirmed that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be deployed for the urban local body elections. The eligibility cut-off date for newly eligible voters has been set for Jan 1, 2027. The draft electoral rolls are scheduled for publication on Feb 10, 2027, followed by the final voter lists shortly thereafter.
Formal directives have been issued to District Collectors and relevant administrative departments to ensure timely and seamless execution of the pre-election activities.
