The Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has directed district election officers to match Assembly electoral rolls with those of panchayats and urban local bodies after a difference of nearly 2.4 crore voters emerged between the panchayat poll electoral rolls and the rural voter count identified during the preparation of the Assembly electoral rolls in the state, sources in the Election Commission said.While the voter roll for the panchayat elections is prepared by the State Election Commission (SEC), the Assembly voters’ list is made by the Election Commission through the office of CEO.The fresh name-matching exercise, which will take January 1, 2027, as the cut-off date, will help identify “eligible citizens” whose names are missing from the Assembly voters’ list, as part of the Special Summary Revision-2027, sources said.As part of the exercise, Assembly electoral rolls will be matched with panchayat and urban local body voter lists to identify eligible citizens who are not enrolled in the Assembly electoral rolls.With the EC focusing on enrolling youth and women voters, it has enlisted government fair-price shops, educational institutions and women’s self-help groups to identify eligible citizens and facilitate their registration.Noting that the number of women voters in the current Assembly electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was “abnormally low”, CEO Navdeep Rinwa said all possible efforts would be made to ensure that every eligible citizen is included in the electoral rolls of Assembly constituencies. “District election officers have been directed to involve various government departments in identifying eligible women whose names are missing from the voters’ list… Those found eligible and not registered in the electoral roll of any Assembly constituency in the country will be asked to fill Form 6 for enrolment,” the CEO said.Officials said that such a “wide gap” in the number of rural voters came as an eye-opener, since people are more connected in villages. The exercise is now being extended to urban areas, with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and community organisations being encouraged to participate in identifying eligible voters.Story continues below this adThe EC has decided to rope in several state government departments and agencies, including the Women Welfare and Child Development and Nutrition Department, the Health Department and the UP State Rural Livelihood Mission, for the exercise. ASHA workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), anganwadi workers and self-help group representatives, known as Samuh Sakhis, have also been asked to identify eligible women voters.“Since ASHA workers, ANMs and Anganwadi workers undertake door-to-door visits in their respective areas, they will be tasked with identifying such women and facilitating the filling of Form 6. In rural areas, Samuh Sakhis associated with women’s self-help groups will also be involved,” an official said.The number of polling stations in Uttar Pradesh has come down from 1,77,516 to 1,73,730 following “rationalisation” approved by the Election Commission of India on November 4.According to a press note issued by the office of UP CEO, the exercise covered all 403 Assembly constituencies across 75 districts. “It was carried out on the prescribed norm of 1,200 voters per polling station,” an official said.Story continues below this adThe draft electoral rolls under the Special Summary Revision-2027, with January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date, will now be published at the 1,73,730 approved polling stations. “Booth Level Officers will inform voters in writing about changes in their polling stations. They will also ensure that all members of a family are enrolled in the same part of the electoral roll, with necessary corrections to be made through Form 8. Lists of approved polling stations will be shared with representatives of recognised political parties,” the official added.