The Election Commission is stepping up groundwork for the 2027 Assembly polls across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa. Delegations of officials are being dispatched to those states as part of the exercise, with the aim of assessing how prepared each jurisdiction is for the upcoming vote.
Among the states where the Commission's team has conducted visits, Uttarakhand stands as the first destination on their itinerary. Visits to all five states are on track to conclude under the Election Commission's schedule by 15 December.
Following that date, a window opens in which the formal timetable for Assembly elections in those states could be set and released. Internal sources at the Commission have indicated that a 15 November deadline has been set for the completion of election readiness reviews across all five states heading to the polls.
Preparedness reviews tied to the upcoming elections are on track to conclude across four of the five states by the end of October, with Uttar Pradesh on a separate schedule. Delegations of government representatives are scheduled to travel to Uttar Pradesh during the first two weeks of November.
Following the conclusion of those site visits, the Election Commission — with the Chief Election Commissioner presiding and both Election Commissioners in attendance — will carry out its own round of inspections. Completion of those visits is scheduled for no later than 15 December, in line with the published timetable.
A window for announcing the election dates opens from 15 December onward. Visits by the Commission to states where polls are pending have historically preceded any formal release of voting dates. Polling across all five states was last set in motion on 8 January 2022, when the schedule of votes was formally confirmed.
Voting machines earmarked for the upcoming Assembly elections across all five states are currently undergoing their first-level checking process, a verification exercise carried out by the Election Commission. Technicians certified by Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited conduct equipment verification at each stage, with the District Election Officer overseeing the procedure and accredited representatives of recognised political parties present throughout.
Through the process, officials assess which voting machines meet operational standards and are cleared for deployment in the upcoming elections. Party delegates from officially registered political organisations are notified in advance so that their attendance during the counting exercise remains an option.
Video surveillance covers the entire proceedings, while access and movement at every stage are subject to controlled oversight measures. At each stage of the inspection, the machines are assessed component by component — with the Control Unit, Ballot Unit, and VVPAT each receiving individual attention from the engineering team.
An inspection of each item confirms the equipment on hand is authentic and in working order. Prior to being returned to service, every unit undergoes a thorough cleaning and has its power source replaced with a factory-fresh unit. Before each voting machine is cleared for use, party representatives gather to observe a test run verifying that the equipment operates as intended.
The readiness exercise is taking place as opposition parties maintain street demonstrations over what they describe as procedural flaws in the SIR, alongside their call for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down from his post.
