The Election Commission has directed booth-level officers (BLOs) in Assam to scrutinise the state’s electoral rolls for entries with missing or non-human photographs, a move aimed at preventing errors and maintaining the integrity of voter lists. The directive comes after reports from Bihar of voters’ lists containing images of cats and dogs.
In instructions to the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, the poll panel specified that software-generated reports should identify 'black and white images', 'not to specification images', 'non-human images', and 'no image' entries.
"For replacement of such images, booth-level officer (BLO) field verification should be done and necessary applications, Form-8 along with photograph as per specification, should invariably be collected from the electors and a proper track record of such replacement should be kept," the EC order read. An official further said BLOs are also authorised to take photographs of electors as one option.
The Commission emphasised that discrepancies, duplicate entries, and errors must be removed before the draft publication, while addresses should be standardised and photograph quality checked.
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Regarding notional house numbers, the EC clarified they do not affect the legal status of properties. "The purpose of allotting a notional house number is just to keep electors of one household in one polling station during the rationalisation of polling stations. In addition to allotment of notional house number, BLO should also mention the nearby landmark so that the house can be distinctly identified upon inquiry," the Commission said.
The special revision of Assam’s electoral rolls, ordered on November 17, will culminate in the publication of the final voter list on February 10, 2026, with January 1 set as the qualifying date. The revision serves as an upgrade of the special summary revision, with pre-filled registers replacing enumeration forms.
A senior official explained, "It is, in a way, an upgrade of the special summary revision...instead of enumeration forms, booth-level officers will verify electors on a pre-filled register."
Another official highlighted Assam-specific provisions, "There are special provisions for citizenship in Assam. The verification of citizenship is already being done under the supervision of the Supreme Court and is in its final stages. Therefore, the special revision (SR) is being ordered in place of special intensive revision (SIR)."
Social media attention on the Bihar incident, where non-human photographs appeared in electoral rolls, underscores the importance of meticulous verification in Assam ahead of the special revision.
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