Bhubaneswar, Jul 10: Odisha's next panchayat elections are likely to be held after the completion of the 2027 Census, with the State Election Commission (SEC) expected to issue the poll notification in April 2027.

The SEC is aiming to complete the three-tier panchayat elections by June 2027, officials said.

Preparations Underway
The Commission has already held meetings with Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs) and district collectors as part of the election preparations.

A review meeting with district officials will be conducted via video conference on July 21 to assess the progress of the preparatory work.

Door-to-Door Survey Planned
In a first for Odisha panchayat elections, the SEC will conduct a door-to-door survey to update electoral rolls.

A booth-wise verification will also be carried out to identify and rectify discrepancies in the voter lists.

Officials said voters from different localities are often assigned to the same polling station, causing inconvenience and affecting voter turnout. The survey aims to ensure voters are mapped to polling booths within their own geographical area.

After the exercise, the Commission will publish revised booth-wise electoral rolls.

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Focus on Better Electoral Rolls
State Election Commission Secretary Santosh Kumar Dash said the survey is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls, make polling more convenient and enhance voter participation.

Officials said the election schedule will be finalised after the completion of the census exercise, which is expected to serve as the basis for the poll process.