JAMMU AND KASHMIR ASSEMBLY POLLS ON THE HORIZON - EC to update voters' list in J&K, Maha, Jharkhand, Haryana by July 1

The draft rolls will be published on July 25 and the final electoral roll will be done by August 20

The Election Commission of India announced on Friday the commencement of preparations for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand. As part of these preparations, the electoral rolls in these states, along with those in Jammu and Kashmir, will be updated with July 1, 2024, set as the qualifying date.

The draft rolls would be published on July 25, after which electors have the chance to file claims and objections till August 9. The publication of the final electoral roll will be done by August 20, as per the schedule.

This follows the precedent set during the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, where January 1 was used as the qualifying date.

The qualifying date is crucial as it establishes the number of eligible voters on a given date within a state or across the country. With the terms of the current legislative Assemblies in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand ending on November 3, November 26, and January 5, 2025, respectively, the elections are mandated to be conducted before these dates.