Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Panchayat elections are likely to be delayed, with the State Election Commission (SEC) planning to issue the election notification only after the completion of the 2027 Census.

According to the SEC, preparations are underway to complete the Panchayat elections by June 2027, with the notification expected to be issued in April 2027 following the census exercise.

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As part of the poll preparations, the Commission has already held meetings with the Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs) and District Collectors. Another review meeting with district officials will be conducted through video conferencing on July 21 to assess the progress of election-related preparations.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the State Election Commission will conduct a door-to-door survey before the elections to streamline the electoral process. A booth-wise survey will also be carried out to identify discrepancies in the voter lists.

Officials said that at present, voters from different localities are often mapped to the same polling booth, resulting in inconvenience and lower voter turnout. The survey aims to correct these anomalies and prepare a clean, updated electoral database.

Following the exercise, the Commission will publish booth-wise voter lists, ensuring that all voters assigned to a polling booth belong to the same geographical area and cast their votes at their designated booth.

Speaking on the preparations, State Election Commission Secretary Santosh Kumar Dash said the survey would help improve the accuracy of electoral rolls and make the polling process more convenient for voters while enhancing overall voter participation.