Bhubaneswar, July 20: The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) has initiated preparations for the upcoming Panchayat and Urban local body elections scheduled for 2027. As part of the groundwork, the Commission will hold a virtual meeting tomorrow with all the District Collectors to review arrangements and voter list preparation, officials said on Monday.

According to official sources, the SEC has outlined a comprehensive plan to ensure smooth conduct of elections across the state. Discussions will focus on ward-level voter list compilation, verification, and finalisation. Odisha will witness elections in 6,794 Panchayats, 853 Zilla Parishads, and 91,913 wards, making it one of the largest grassroots electoral exercises in the country.

The Commission has set September 5 as the deadline for publication of the final voter list under the Special Summary Revision (SSR). Following this, in October, officials will undertake door-to-door verification across all wards to update and prepare the electoral rolls for the Panchayat elections. This exercise is expected to strengthen transparency and accuracy in the voter database.
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The SEC’s meeting with district collectors will also deliberate on logistical arrangements, manpower deployment, and awareness campaigns to ensure maximum participation. Officials emphasised that early preparations are crucial given the scale of the elections and the need to maintain credibility in the democratic process.

With nearly 92,000 wards going to polls, the Panchayat and Urban elections will play a pivotal role in shaping grassroots governance in Odisha. The SEC’s proactive approach, beginning more than a year ahead of the polls, reflects its commitment to conducting free, fair, and inclusive elections.