Bhubaneswar, July 21 (UDN): The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) has stepped up preparations for the upcoming Panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections, announcing a statewide door-to-door voter verification drive from October 26 to November 7.
The exercise will be carried out to update electoral rolls, verify voter details, include eligible voters, and remove discrepancies ahead of the local body elections.
The decision was taken during a review meeting held by the SEC with district magistrates, municipal commissioners, and Municipal Corporation commissioners through video conferencing.
SEC Secretary Santosh Kumar Dash said teams for the voter verification drive will be constituted by July 31. The teams comprising Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Anganwadi workers, and ASHA workers will conduct household visits to verify voter information.
The Commission said the voter list revision process will help improve the accuracy of electoral records and ensure a transparent election process. The final electoral rolls for all wards in the state are expected to be published by February 10 after completion of the revision exercise.
Meanwhile, the SEC is also undertaking other election-related preparations, including repair of old ballot boxes and procurement of additional ballot boxes to meet requirements during the polls.
To prevent duplicate registrations, the Commission will introduce a de-duplication application that will help identify multiple voter entries and strengthen the integrity of the electoral database.
The SEC said the comprehensive preparation process is aimed at ensuring smooth, fair, and efficient conduct of the upcoming Panchayat and ULB elections in Odisha.