Bye-Elections 2026: Six Seats, One Polling Day — What Voters Need to Know

Quick take: The Election Commission has scheduled bye-elections for five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday, 6 October 2026. Counting is scheduled for Friday, 9 October, with the election process targeted for completion by 11 October.

The six constituencies are:

  • 35-Madurantakam (SC) — Tamil Nadu
  • 101-Dharapuram (SC) — Tamil Nadu
  • 09-Thattanchavady — Puducherry
  • 70-Rejinagar — West Bengal
  • 210-Nandigram — West Bengal
  • 09-Nagaon Parliamentary Constituency — Assam

This is a citizen orientation guide — seats, dates and voter preparation, not a prediction sheet.

Non-partisan: Vacancy reasons and candidate lists can change during the nomination process. Re-check the latest ECI/CEO notifications after scrutiny and withdrawal.
The six-seat map

ConstituencyTypeState/UTMadurantakam (SC) — No. 35AssemblyTamil NaduDharapuram (SC) — No. 101AssemblyTamil NaduThattanchavady — No. 09AssemblyPuducherryRejinagar — No. 70AssemblyWest BengalNandigram — No. 210AssemblyWest BengalNagaon — No. 09Lok SabhaAssam

Two of the Assembly constituencies are SC-reserved seats in Tamil Nadu.

That reservation affects who can contest the seat. It does not mean only SC citizens can vote there.

If you're an eligible elector on the roll, your voting right depends on your electoral registration — not the reservation category of the constituency.

Bye-election schedule

The election timetable is:

StageDateGazette notification9 September 2026Last date for nominations16 September 2026Scrutiny17 September 2026Withdrawal19 September 2026Polling6 October 2026Counting9 October 2026Completion of processBy 11 October 2026

The period between notification and withdrawal is when the candidate list can change.

So don't assume that an early list circulating on social media is the final ballot.

What should voters do right now?

If you live in one of these six constituencies, you don't need to follow every political development.

Your first job is much simpler:

Check your electoral roll.

Go to the official Election Commission voter-service system and verify:

  • Your name
  • Constituency
  • Polling station
  • Part/serial information
  • Other available electoral details

Use the official ECI voter portal:

voters.eci.gov.in

You can also use your state's Chief Electoral Officer website for constituency-specific information.

Electoral-roll dates reported for these seats

The supplied election information identifies the following approximate roll-publication dates:

Constituency clusterRoll publicationMadurantakam & Dharapuram23 February 2026Thattanchavady14 February 2026Rejinagar & Nandigram28 February 2026Nagaon10 February 2026

If you have moved house or your details have changed since then, don't wait until polling day to discover a problem.

Check your current status now.

Tamil Nadu: Madurantakam and Dharapuram

If you're voting in:

Madurantakam — Assembly No. 35

or

Dharapuram — Assembly No. 101

check your:

  • Electoral-roll entry
  • Assembly constituency number
  • Polling part
  • Polling station

Both are SC-reserved Assembly constituencies.

Again, the reservation is about candidates.

All eligible electors enrolled in the constituency can vote.

Follow the CEO Tamil Nadu notices for any booth or polling-location updates.

Puducherry: Thattanchavady

For voters in Assembly Constituency No. 09 — Thattanchavady, verify your polling station early.

Don't assume the booth you used in a previous election will necessarily be the one you use for this bye-election.

Check the latest electoral information through the official Puducherry election authorities.

West Bengal: Rejinagar and Nandigram

The two West Bengal Assembly constituencies are:

70-Rejinagar

210-Nandigram

These seats are likely to attract considerable political and media attention.

That doesn't change what an individual voter needs to do.

Check:

  • Your name
  • Polling station
  • Electoral-roll details
  • Any official booth-level update

Keep your EPIC available and, if you prefer, carry an approved alternate photo ID as a backup.

Assam: Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency

09-Nagaon is the only Lok Sabha constituency in this bye-election group.

That means you're voting for a Member of Parliament, rather than an MLA.

Your Assembly segment still forms part of the parliamentary constituency.

Check your polling details through the ECI/CEO Assam systems before polling day.

EPIC or another approved photo ID?

Your EPIC/voter ID remains the obvious document to carry.

If you don't have your EPIC card, the Election Commission permits specified alternative photo identification documents under its applicable polling-day instructions.

The important distinction is:

ID proves who you are.

The electoral roll establishes whether you are entitled to vote at that polling station.

An alternate ID cannot create a voting entitlement if your name isn't on the roll.

Don't wait until 6 October to discover a missing name

One of the most common mistakes is:

"I'll check my voter details when I reach the booth."

That's too late for comfort.

Check now.

If there is a problem with your electoral registration, use the applicable ECI process and keep any application/reference number.

For a bye-election, the practical deadline for fixing electoral-roll issues may be much earlier than polling day.

What happens during the nomination period?

Between 9 and 19 September, you'll see a lot of political activity.

As a voter, you don't need to treat every announcement as final.

The sequence is:

Nomination → scrutiny → withdrawal → final contesting candidates

A person who announces a candidacy is not necessarily a candidate who will appear on the final ballot.

So wait for the official final candidate information after withdrawal.

What voters can ignore

You can safely ignore:

  • "Final candidate list" screenshots published before withdrawal
  • Unverified booth-level predictions
  • WhatsApp claims about voting percentages
  • Messages promising special voter-list additions
  • Unofficial "exit" or "result" graphics
  • Messages asking for OTPs to "activate" your vote

If somebody says:

"Give me your OTP and I'll add your name to the by-election list."

Don't do it.

What about counting day?

Counting is scheduled for 9 October 2026.

Ordinary voters do not need to go to the counting centre.

Counting-centre procedures are a separate matter for authorised election personnel, candidates and agents.

As a citizen, wait for:

Official trends → official result → final declaration

Don't forward a WhatsApp message claiming:

"Booth 47 result is final."

A booth-level figure isn't necessarily the constituency result.

Planning to travel for the election?

If you work or study outside your constituency, think about polling day now.

6 October 2026 is a Tuesday.

If you need to be physically present in your constituency to vote, plan your travel and leave accordingly.

Don't assume that being registered in the constituency means you can vote from wherever you happen to be working.

First-time voters: a simple polling-day plan

If this is your first election:

Before leaving home

Check:

  • Name on roll
  • Polling station
  • EPIC/approved ID
  • Part/serial information

At the polling station

Follow the signage and queue for your polling part.

If electoral-roll information is displayed at the booth, use it to confirm your details.

Inside

Follow the instructions of polling officials and cast your vote using the prescribed voting process.

You don't need to understand every political argument before you vote.

You do need to know:

Where to vote.

Whether you're on the roll.

What identification to carry.

Keep these official resources handy

Election Commission voter services

voters.eci.gov.in

Use it to check voter information and available voter services.

Helpline

1950

Use the official election helpline for voter-service guidance.

State CEO websites

For detailed constituency-level updates, follow the relevant Chief Electoral Officer:

  • Tamil Nadu
  • Puducherry
  • West Bengal
  • Assam

These sites are particularly useful for booth and local election notices.

Six seats, but one simple voter checklist

If you're in one of these constituencies, save this:

  • ☐ Check your name on the electoral roll
  • ☐ Confirm your constituency
  • ☐ Confirm polling station
  • ☐ Note your part/serial details
  • ☐ Keep EPIC or approved photo ID ready
  • ☐ Watch for the final candidate list after 19 September
  • ☐ Plan travel for 6 October
  • ☐ Ignore unofficial "special voter list" messages
  • ☐ Don't share OTPs
  • ☐ Follow official ECI/CEO updates
The important dates to remember

You really only need three dates on your calendar:

19 September

Withdrawal ends — the final contesting candidate picture becomes clearer.

6 October

Polling day.

9 October

Counting day.

The election process is targeted to conclude by:

11 October

Bottom line

The 2026 bye-elections cover six constituencies across four jurisdictions:

Madurantakam + Dharapuram → Tamil Nadu

Thattanchavady → Puducherry

Rejinagar + Nandigram → West Bengal

Nagaon → Assam

All six are scheduled to vote on:

Tuesday, 6 October 2026

Counting is scheduled for:

Friday, 9 October 2026

For voters, the priority isn't predicting the winner.

It's making sure your name is on the roll, you know your polling station, and you have an approved ID ready.

Check your details now rather than discovering a problem at the gate.

Be informed. Be heard.

Note: This guide is based on the supplied 2026 bye-election schedule and constituency information. Candidate lists, polling arrangements, booth details and other election instructions can change during the process. Check the latest ECI and relevant CEO notification before polling day.