Guwahati: Assam has emerged as the northeastern state with the highest number of registered voters, crossing 24.9 million electors, according to the latest Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls. As part of a nationwide voter roll update, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a plan to resolve the long-standing issue of duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers within the next three months.
Among the 99-crore-strong electorate of India, the northeastern states collectively account for over 7.5 million voters. After Assam, Tripura follows with 2.9 million electors, Meghalaya with 2.27 million, and Manipur with 2.07 million. Smaller states like Mizoram (874,107 voters) and Nagaland (1.34 million voters) have also completed their electoral roll updates, reinforcing transparency and voter participation.
The SSR, conducted annually between October and December, ensures systematic verification of electoral rolls through Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Booth Level Agents (BLAs), and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). The recent SSR 2025 witnessed significant participation:
• Assam deployed 28,645 BLOs and 53,457 BLAs for voter verification.
• Arunachal Pradesh engaged 2,226 BLOs and 1,624 BLAs in the process.
• Manipur and Tripura each had over 3,000 BLOs conducting door-to-door checks.
• Meghalaya deployed 3,551 BLOs, though no BLAs were reported.
• Mizoram and Nagaland engaged 1,276 and 2,342 BLOs, respectively, covering even the most remote regions.
Despite extensive verification, duplicate EPIC numbers remain a challenge, arising from inconsistencies in allotment since 2000. The ECI clarified that while some voters have duplicate numbers, they cannot cast multiple votes as each voter is linked to a single polling station.
To address this, the ECI will issue a unique national EPIC number to affected voters, ensuring standardization across states and preventing future discrepancies. This move aims to eliminate administrative inconsistencies that emerged when states independently managed their electoral databases.
The revision process also provides multiple grievance redressal mechanisms. Voters dissatisfied with corrections can file an appeal with the District Magistrate under Section 24(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, followed by a second appeal to the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24(b). However, the recent SSR recorded only 89 first-level appeals and just one second-level appeal nationwide, indicating a high level of accuracy in voter registration.
With the ECI’s proactive measures to resolve duplicate EPIC numbers and enhance verification, northeastern states are gearing up for upcoming elections with strengthened voter confidence. These initiatives will play a vital role in ensuring a transparent, inclusive, and fair democratic process in the region.
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