Voter Lists Shrink Over 15% Since 2024 Elections In States, U.T.s Where SIR Third-Phase Draft Lists Are Out, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• Voter lists in 17 States and Union Territories undergoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) have shrunk by 15.7% since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
• The cumulative total of voters in these regions decreased from 35.50 crore to 29.93 crore in the draft rolls.
• Maharashtra recorded the largest absolute drop, losing over 1.58 crore electors, while Delhi and Chandigarh saw the sharpest percentage dips at 35.89% and 31.84% respectively.
• A total of 6.15 crore voters have been deleted from the draft rolls during this phase of SIR.
• Of the deleted voters, 4.52 crore were marked "absent," 49.58 lakh as "having multiple enrolments," and 1.11 crore as "dead."

Detailed Insights:

• The Election Commission of India conducts Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to ensure accurate and updated electoral rolls by removing ineligible entries and adding new eligible voters.
• The third phase of SIR is being carried out in 16 States and three Union Territories, with draft rolls published for 17 of these.
• Despite the overall shrinkage, these States/U.T.s had added approximately 57.75 lakh voters after the 2024 polls and before the SIR enumeration phase.
• Maharashtra significantly contributed to additions with 47.92 lakh new voters, while some states like Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Odisha saw a decrease even before deletions.
• The Election Commission provides a window for citizens to submit claims and objections for additions and deletions, and to register new voters, before the final lists are published.
• The final voter lists will begin rolling out in States soon, with Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur leading the process.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Election Commission of India (ECI): An autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes, including preparing and revising electoral rolls.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A systematic process undertaken by the ECI to update electoral rolls by including eligible voters, removing duplicate or ineligible entries, and correcting records through field verification and public participation.