Understanding Assam's D-Voters: Election Commission's Special Summary Revision Process Explained

The Assam assembly election is scheduled for April 2026.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated a special summary revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam, distinct from the special intensive revision (SIR) currently underway in 12 other states.

Beginning November 22, booth-level officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door verification as part of the revision process in Assam. The draft electoral roll will be released on December 27, followed by a claims and objections period, with the final voter list publication set for February 10, 2026.

Unlike the SIR process, this special revision will not distribute new enumeration forms to voters. Instead, BLOs will utilize pre-filled registers containing existing elector information for their respective polling areas.

During their field visits, BLOs will verify current entries and document cases of duplicates, deceased voters, and permanently relocated electors. They will also process Form 6 applications for new voters, Form 7 for deletions or transfers, and Form 8 for corrections.

EC directives require each BLO to carry a minimum of 30 blank Form 6 and 20 blank Form 7 and 8 during fieldwork to facilitate on-the-spot assistance for citizens.

A significant aspect of the EC's order is that "D-voters" (doubtful voters) will remain unchanged in the electoral roll. The Commission has instructed that D-voter details should not be included during home-to-home verification. Instead, names already marked as "D" will be carried forward as-is in the draft electoral roll.

Any change to a D-voter's status, including deletion or removal of the "D" designation, can only occur following an order from a foreigners tribunal or court.

Assam continues to be the only Indian state with the "D-voter" category in its electoral rolls, a system in place since 1997.

The "D-voter" concept stems from the Assam Accord of 1985, under which the Indian government determined that any individual entering Assam illegally after March 24, 1971, would be classified as a foreigner.

In 1997, the Election Commission designated approximately three lakh voters as "D" (doubtful) while updating Assam's electoral rolls. These individuals had questionable citizenship status. Their cases were referred to foreigners tribunals, where they needed to prove their Indian nationality through documents like birth certificates, land records, and legacy data.

This process continues today. According to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, approximately 96,987 D-voters currently exist in the state.

The retention of D-voter status in the upcoming revision means nearly one lakh Assam residents will remain disenfranchised unless they receive clearance from a tribunal or court. This issue is deeply intertwined with Assam's extensive history of migration, identity politics, and citizenship verification, including the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise.

As the special summary revision proceeds, non-D voters will receive updates and corrections, while D-voters must continue awaiting legal clearance before regaining their voting rights.

According to Election Commission sources, Assam will not conduct an SIR due to the ongoing NRC process.