The draft electoral roll issued on Monday as part of Maharashtra’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) shows a significant drop in the number of registered voters, with almost 2 crore fewer entries than the previous list.
The electoral roll in use until June listed 9.8 crore registered voters, whereas the current draft SIR roll includes 7.7 crore voters, reflecting a 21.1% decrease. Mumbai recorded the steepest decline, with approximately 36 lakh voters absent from the draft list.
However, officials explained that the net decrease is about 1.9 crore voters, since nearly 17 lakh duplicate entries removed from one constituency are still registered in another.
"Those 17 lakh duplicate voters cannot be treated as excluded because their names continue to appear in a different constituency,” Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam said.
According to media reports, the decline in voter numbers is largely attributed to the failure to collect enumeration forms during the SIR exercise.
Officials stated that these voters were classified as ASDD, Absent, Dead, Duplicate, or Shifted.
The individuals whose names were excluded from the draft list are voters whose forms could not be obtained because they were:
· Reported dead
· Registered at multiple locations
· No longer living at the given address
· Not available during the verification
Officials reported that approximately 3.4 million voters were found to be deceased, while 1.7 million instances involved duplicate registrations.
About 15 million voters now have the option to seek restoration of their names, as the Election Commission has opened a window for nearly 15 million excluded voters to have their names re-entered in the SIR electoral roll.
The claims and objections period will remain open until September 30, during which voters may file applications for inclusion in the rolls. Officials stated that individuals left off the list because they were away or had changed their address can submit fresh applications.
First time voters who turned 18 before October 1 are also eligible to register during this one-month timeframe.
Approximately 3.4 million voters were found to be deceased and 1.7 million were linked to duplicate registrations. The remaining 15 million voters, who were removed due to non-residence or relocation, have the chance to reapply," Chockalingam said.
Voters can verify their names in the draft electoral roll via the Election Commission’s portal and the website of the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer.
The draft lists can also be accessed through district election officers and recognised political parties operating at the district level. Citizens may submit various forms based on their specific needs.
Form 6: For inclusion of names in the electoral roll
Form 7: For deletion of names
Form 8: For corrections such as name, address, age and gender details
Of the 7.7 crore voters included in the draft SIR, around 3.9 crore are male and 3.7 crore are female. Mumbai recorded the highest number of deletions, with approximately 36 lakh voters removed from the draft electoral roll.
Other major cities that recorded substantial declines in voter numbers include: Pune — 2.86 million voters, Thane — 2.85 million voters, and Nagpur — 1.44 million voters.
Officials reported that urban migration and changes in residential patterns were key factors behind the decline.
