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Turned 18 after October 2024? you’re not eligible to vote in Maharashtra’s local body polls, including Mumbai’s BMC elections!
- by Webdesk
- 17 Oct 2025
Source: The Times Of India
Mumbai: Thousands of first-time voters across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, will have to wait a little longer before they can exercise their right to vote. Citizens who turned 18 after October 1, 2024, will not be eligible to cast their ballots in the upcoming local body elections, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
The reason lies in the electoral registration process — October 1, 2024, was the last cut-off date for new voter registrations under the current electoral roll. Those who became eligible after that date missed the window for inclusion, as the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the electoral roll — which usually allows fresh registrations — was not conducted at the end of 2024.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra, S. Chockalingam, had in June 2024 written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) requesting permission to conduct an SSR for the state, as is typically done every year. The SSR process is crucial as it focuses on the addition of new voters, removal of duplicate or deceased entries, and correction of existing details. Once the process is completed, an updated copy of the electoral roll is shared with political parties so they can verify its accuracy.
However, sources said that because Maharashtra Assembly elections were held in November 2024, the SSR could not be carried out at the end of the year. Instead, an earlier summary revision had already taken place in July 2024. Following that, the ECI had planned a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in early 2025 — a more detailed verification process involving door-to-door checks and voter signature verification — but that exercise too was postponed.
Earlier this week, the Opposition leaders, including top members from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), met CEO S. Chockalingam demanding that a fresh SSR be conducted before local body polls. They alleged widespread errors and duplications in the existing voter list and argued that many eligible voters had been unfairly excluded.
Chockalingam reportedly conveyed their concerns to the ECI and is said to be preparing a formal response to their complaints. Officials, however, clarified that given the tight timeline mandated by the Supreme Court, it is practically impossible to conduct a full-scale SSR before the civic elections.
The Supreme Court of India has directed that all local body elections in Maharashtra must be completed by January 31, 2026. Conducting an SSR typically requires at least three months, followed by data verification and publication of the final rolls. Given this strict judicial deadline, election officials said there isn’t sufficient time to carry out the entire process without delaying the elections — something the state cannot afford.
As a result, the State Election Commission (SEC) will proceed with the electoral roll dated July 1, 2025, for the local body elections. This list currently records 9.85 crore registered voters, marking an increase of around 14.7 lakh voters compared to the October 2024 roll used during the assembly elections, which had 9.7 crore voters.
One of the key concerns raised by Opposition parties was the alleged duplication of voter names across constituencies. Officials explained that such cases generally arise when a voter shifts residence. Initially, the voter’s name gets added to the new location before being deleted from the old constituency, causing temporary duplication. Since Maharashtra’s districts fall under different electoral jurisdictions, the process of deletion can take time.
To tackle this, election authorities have now introduced advanced software tools capable of identifying and flagging duplicate names across different constituencies and districts. This digital verification process, officials say, will help minimize errors and ensure greater transparency in the electoral database.
For many young citizens who turned 18 after October 2024, the news has come as a disappointment. They were hoping to participate in the civic elections — especially the BMC polls, one of the largest and most politically significant urban elections in the country. Several student organizations and youth groups have expressed frustration that they will have to wait until the next electoral cycle to cast their first votes.
State government officials maintain that while the situation is unfortunate, the decision to proceed without another SSR was inevitable due to time constraints and the Supreme Court’s timeline. The government has assured that efforts are being made to strengthen the voter database and streamline future revisions.
In response to criticism from Opposition parties, the ruling alliance has reiterated that the electoral process remains transparent and fair, and that technological upgrades — such as automated duplication detection and improved online voter services — will enhance accuracy going forward.
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