Mumbai Civic Polls to Have Reduced Voting Hours; Duplicate Voters Pose Logistical Challenge
Mumbai, 13th January 2026: Polling for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, scheduled for Thursday, January 15, will be conducted for a shorter duration compared to Assembly elections, a decision that has led to confusion among voters and election personnel alike.
As per the State Election Commission (SEC), voting for the civic polls will take place from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, one hour less than the 7 am to 6 pm schedule followed during Assembly elections. Civic officials clarified that the polling hours have been fixed strictly in accordance with Election Commission directives.
Election authorities said the reduced voting window is expected to be offset by an increase in the number of polling booths and a lower voter load per booth, which should help facilitate smooth voting within the shorter timeframe. Officials also pointed to earlier sunset hours during winter as a key factor behind concluding polling at 5.30 pm.
Complicating election-day logistics further, authorities have identified 1.68 lakh duplicate voters in Mumbai ahead of the civic polls. Of these, around 48,000 voters have already submitted affidavits specifying the ward in which they intend to vote.
However, the remaining approximately 1.20 lakh duplicate voters will be required to complete affidavits at polling stations before being allowed to cast their ballots. Officials fear this could lead to delays, disputes, and congestion at some booths on polling day.
Initially, the SEC had flagged over 11 lakh voters as potential duplicates. Following a detailed verification exercise—excluding voters with similar or identical names—it was established that 1,68,350 voters were genuine duplicate entries.
Subsequently, 9.33 lakh voters were removed from the duplicate category after scrutiny. To streamline the process, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) developed a computerised verification system, while civic staff conducted door-to-door verification at 1.26 lakh households.
During the drive, 48,328 voters submitted ‘Form A’, confirming their preferred voting ward, while many others failed to complete the process.
Election officials said duplicate voters who have not submitted affidavits in advance will be permitted to vote only after verification of at least two identity documents and submission of the required declaration at the polling station.
The election administration has appealed to voters, particularly those identified as duplicate entries, to cooperate with polling staff to ensure a smooth, orderly, and disruption-free voting process during the civic elections.
