Politics
UP Voter List Shake-Up: Nearly 3 Crore Names Missing in Draft Roll After Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Cities Lead Deletions
The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Uttar Pradesh voter list has thrown up startling numbers. The draft electoral roll, released on Monday, shows that nearly 3 crore voters are missing compared to the previous list — a development that is likely to trigger political debate and voter anxiety ahead of future elections.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinva said the new draft roll contains 12,55,56,025 voters, down from 15,44,30,092 voters in the existing list.
In simple terms, 18.7 per cent of voters from the old list do not feature in the new draft roll.
The exercise during SIR
According to election officials, the SIR process involved door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), collection of enumeration forms, and categorization of voters based on their current status.
Out of the total electorate:
81.3 per cent voters submitted their enumeration forms
2.89 crore names were dropped from the draft list
The deletions fall into four broad categories:
Break-up of deleted voters
- Deceased voters: 46.23 lakh names (2.99%) were removed after being verified as dead.
- Shifted voters: The biggest chunk — 2.17 crore voters (14.04%) — were marked as having shifted residence and could not be traced at their registered address.
- Duplicate entries: 25.47 lakh names (1.65%) were deleted as they appeared more than once in the rolls.
Election officials maintain that these corrections are essential to clean up voter rolls and eliminate ghost or duplicate voters.
However, the sheer scale of “shifted” voters has raised eyebrows.
Top districts with maximum Voter deletions
- Lucknow – 12,00,138 voters removed
- Prayagraj – 11,56,305 voters removed
- Kanpur Nagar – 9,02,148 voters removed
Other major districts with high deletions include:
- Agra: 8,36,943
- Ghaziabad: 8,18,139
- Meerut: 6,65,635
- Gorakhpur: 6,45,625
Officials admit that in several urban districts, more than one-fifth of the electorate was marked “uncollectable” due to people moving houses, changing cities for jobs, or living at temporary addresses.
Border districts also show concern
Apart from cities, border and migration-prone districts such as Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj reported a large number of voters marked absent or untraceable.
These districts often see seasonal migration, cross-border movement, and weak documentation, making voter verification challenging.
How to check if your name is deleted
Uttar Pradesh Election Commission Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinva urged citizens to check their status immediately.
Voters can visit:
ceouttarpradesh.nic.in
voters.eci.gov.in
Names are listed under the ASDDR category:
- A – Absent
- S – Shifted
- D – Dead
- D – Duplicate
- R – Refused enumeration
The SIR 2026 draft roll is available for download on the ECI website.
What to do if your name is missing
If a voter’s name does not appear in the draft list:
Form-6: For inclusion of name (new or deleted voters)
Form-6A: Overseas voters
Form-7: Objections or removal
Form-8: Corrections in details
Forms can be submitted through:
- Booth Level Officers (BLOs)
- Voter Registration Centres at tehsil offices
- ECINET mobile app
- voters.eci.gov.in
Key dates to remember
Claims & objections period: January 6 – February 6, 2026
Disposal of claims: Till February 27, 2026
Final voter list publication: March 6, 2026
Election officials insist that no genuine voter will be left out if they file claims on time. But with nearly 3 crore names missing in the draft, the coming weeks will be crucial — not just for voters, but for the credibility of the electoral process itself.