The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh resulted in the publication of a draft voter list on 6 January 2026. Out of 15.44 crore voters previously listed, 12.55 crore were retained, while more than 2.89 crore names were excluded.
The exclusions were attributed to deaths, permanent migration, and duplicate registrations. The enumeration process involved door-to-door verification, and the window for claims and objections is open until 6 February 2026.
According to Deccan Herald, Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa stated that the SIR exercise was extended by 15 days after it was observed that nearly 2.97 crore names were being excluded. The enumeration required forms to be filled and signed by voters or their family members, and the process was originally scheduled to conclude on 11 December 2025.
The names removed, 2.1 crore were due to voters shifting from their registered residences, 46.2 lakh were deceased, and 25.4 lakh were duplicate entries.
This marks the largest number of deletions among the 12 states and Union Territories undergoing similar revisions. The deletions are provisional, and affected citizens can file claims and objections until 6 February 2026.
As highlighted by The Hindu, the final publication of the voter list is scheduled for 6 March 2026. The state government sought additional time for the enumeration after noticing the high number of exclusions. The process for hearing claims and objections will run from 6 January to 27 February 2026.
“The remaining 18.70 percent, or about 2.89 crore voters, could not be included in the draft list due to deaths, permanent migration or multiple registrations,” Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said.
Coverage revealed that urban districts such as Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Prayagraj, Meerut, and Agra saw the highest proportions of deletions. The enumeration phase began on 4 November 2025 and concluded on 26 December 2025 after several extensions. The number of ‘uncollectible voters’ dropped from 2.96 crore to 2.89 crore during this period.
The process of issuing notices, hearing claims, and adjudicating enumeration forms will continue as details emerged from 6 January to 27 February 2026. Citizens whose names have been dropped are encouraged to participate in the claims and objections process to ensure accuracy in the final rolls.
Political leaders have responded to the deletions, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressing concern over the large number of missing voters. Analysis showed that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav instructed party workers to monitor the SIR process closely and assist those whose names were excluded.
“Uttar Pradesh’s population stands at around 25 crore, of which nearly 65% should be eligible voters, translating to about 16 crore voters… However, during the SIR exercise, only around 12 crore names had been recorded so far,” Yogi Adityanath said.
The Election Commission extended the draft roll publication date multiple times, with the final schedule setting the last date for claims and objections on 6 February 2026 and the final list release on 6 March 2026 following reports.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.