The Election Commission of India (ECI) published the integrated draft electoral roll for Tamil Nadu following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise conducted across the State.
Data released by election authorities shows significant deletions in several districts, with Chennai recording the highest number of removals.
According to the draft SIR list, 14.25 lakh voters were deleted in Chennai, reducing the electorate from 40.04 lakh earlier to 25.79 lakh. Election officials attributed the deletions to multiple factors, including 1.56 lakh deaths, 27,323 voters not found at their listed addresses, 12.22 lakh voters reported as having shifted residence and 18,772 cases of dual enrolment.
Other districts also saw substantial changes. Coimbatore recorded the removal of 6.50 lakh voters, while Dindigul saw 2.34 lakh deletions, bringing its electorate down from 19.35 lakh before the revision to 16.09 lakh. In Karur, 79,690 voters were removed, reducing the count from 8.79 lakh to 8.18 lakh, while Kanchipuram recorded 2.74 lakh deletions.
Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said the SIR process was completed on December 16 and that District Election Officers published the draft electoral rolls in all districts on Friday. As per the draft rolls, the total electorate in Tamil Nadu now stands at 5,43,76,755, including 2,77,60,332 women voters, 2,66,63,233 men and 7,191 transgender voters. The rolls also include 4,19,355 differently-abled voters.
The CEO said Booth Level Officers visited every household three times during the verification process. As part of the exercise, 66,44,881 entries were replaced, 3,39,278 cases of multiple enrolment were identified and 97,37,831 names were removed from the electoral rolls. She added that 5,19,275 Form-6 applications seeking inclusion have been received so far.
Read more: Tamil Nadu Draft Electoral Roll Out: How To Check If Your Name Is On Voters’ List
The Election Commission said the SIR exercise was aimed at cleaning up electoral lists by removing deceased voters, duplicate entries and names of those who have shifted residence, while ensuring greater accuracy ahead of future elections. The draft electoral rolls have been made available for public inspection and voters have been given an opportunity to file claims and objections within the stipulated period before the final roll is published.
What Should Voters Do If Their Name Is Missing?
If a voter finds their name missing from the draft roll, they need to verify their details using their EPIC number on the ECI’s elector search portal or through the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Tamil Nadu website. Booth-level SIR PDFs indicate whether a voter has been marked as “shifted”, “absent”, “duplicate” or “deleted”, along with the recorded reason.
If the deletion is incorrect, voters can submit a claim for inclusion or a request for correction during the claims-and-objections window, either online or through the Booth Level Officer (BLO) or the local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). Applicants are advised to keep proof of identity and address ready and save the acknowledgment. The Election Commission will verify the claim before publishing the final electoral roll.
