97.37 Lakh Names Removed in Tamil Nadu Draft Electoral Roll After SIR: CEO

Chennai: The draft electoral roll for Tamil Nadu was released on Monday after the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), with 97.37 lakh voter names removed from the rolls, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik announced. As per the draft roll, the total number of voters in Tamil Nadu stands at 5,43,76,755, compared to 6,41,14,587 voters before the revision, indicating a significant clean-up of the electoral database. SIR Conducted Across the State The Special Intensive Revision was carried out between November 4 and December 14, covering all 38 districts of the state. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted door-to-door verification, issuing enumeration forms and cross-checking voter details to identify ineligible, duplicate, or outdated entries. Voter Break-up in Draft Roll According to the CEO, the draft electoral roll comprises: Women voters: 2,77,06,331 Men voters: 2,66,63,233 Third gender voters: 7,191 The figures together account for the total 5,43,76,755 voters in the draft roll. Reasons for Deletions Officials said the deletions were made based on field verification and documentary evidence. Of the 97,37,832 names removed: 66,44,881 voters were found to have shifted residence or remained long-term absentees 26,94,672 names belonged to deceased voters 3,39,278 voters were found to be enrolled at multiple places 59,001 cases fell under other or unclassified categories identified during the revision process Claims and Objections Till January 18 The Election Commission has opened the window for claims and objections until January 18, 2026. Citizens have been urged to verify their names and details in the draft roll. Voters can submit: Form 6 for inclusion of eligible voters Form 7 for deletion of ineligible names Form 8 for correction of entries Applications can be filed online through the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer’s website, through Booth Level Officers, or at special voter help camps being organised across the state. The final electoral roll will be published after considering all claims and objections received during the stipulated period.