Maharashtra SIR: Over 2.07 Crore Voters Face Possible Exclusion, Poll Body Data Shows

More than 2.07 crore voters in Maharashtra, accounting for 21.15 per cent of the state's total electorate, are set to be excluded from the upcoming Draft Electoral Roll following the completion of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026, according to data released by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Maharashtra. The first phase of the revision exercise was completed on August 17, with authorities citing statutory ineligibility and findings from ground-level verification among the reasons for the uncollected enumeration forms.

The house-to-house enumeration exercise was conducted across all Assembly constituencies in the state between June 30 and August 17. During the exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visited households to distribute and collect signed enumeration forms from registered voters. The exercise was aimed at verifying electoral records and identifying entries that may require removal or further scrutiny before the preparation of the Draft Electoral Roll.

According to the CEO's office, Maharashtra has around 9.78 crore registered electors. Of these, approximately 7.71 crore voters, or 78.85 per cent of the electorate, successfully submitted signed enumeration forms during the first phase. The remaining 2.07 crore voters were placed in the category of "Uncollectable Enumeration Form" after officials were unable to collect the required forms or identified issues during the verification process.

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The electoral authorities classified these uncollected forms under the ASDD framework, which covers voters who are Absent, Shifted, Deceased or Duplicate, along with a separate category for other cases. The largest group comprised voters classified as permanently shifted, numbering approximately 76.80 lakh, or 7.85 per cent of the state's electorate. Another 75.52 lakh voters, representing 7.72 per cent, were categorised as absent or not found during the enumeration exercise.

The data also identified approximately 34.81 lakh voters, or 3.56 per cent of the electorate, under the deceased category. A further 17.63 lakh voters, accounting for 1.80 per cent, were classified as duplicate or enrolled elsewhere. The remaining 2.23 lakh voters, equivalent to 0.23 per cent, were placed under the "Others" category. Together, these classifications account for the more than 2.07 crore enumeration forms that remained uncollected.

The distribution of voters affected by the exercise varies significantly across Maharashtra's districts. Of the total 2.07 crore voters classified under the ASDD framework and related categories, approximately 28.61 lakh are from Thane, while 26.63 lakh are from Mumbai Suburban district. Pune accounts for another 28.70 lakh voters, while Nagpur has 14.44 lakh and Nashik 10.29 lakh. Mumbai City accounts for approximately 9.52 lakh voters in the data released by the electoral authorities.

The figures represent the outcome of the first phase of the electoral revision process and do not necessarily mean that every voter classified in these categories will permanently lose their voting rights. The information released by the CEO's office relates to the preparation of the Draft Electoral Roll following the enumeration exercise. Further stages of the electoral roll revision process will determine how individual cases are treated before the rolls are finalised.

The scale of the exercise makes the Maharashtra revision significant, with more than one-fifth of registered electors falling into the uncollected enumeration category after the first phase. The Election Commission and state electoral authorities are expected to proceed with the subsequent stages of the revision process, including scrutiny and consideration of eligible claims and objections, as the state moves towards finalising its electoral rolls.

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