Chennai: Sunday marks the final opportunity for eligible citizens in Tamil Nadu to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll or to submit requests for corrections, as the Election Commission of India (ECI) brings the current phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process to a close.
According to the ECI, applications for adding new voters, deleting names, or making changes related to address and personal details will not be accepted after Sunday.
The ongoing revision exercise is aimed at ensuring that the state’s voter list is accurate, updated, and free of ineligible entries ahead of forthcoming elections.
As part of this intensive revision, the draft electoral roll was published on January 19. During the verification process, the Commission removed the names of around 9.7 million voters from the draft list.
Officials explained that these deletions largely included the names of deceased voters, individuals who had relocated, and duplicate or otherwise ineligible entries identified through field-level checks.
Following the release of the draft roll, the Election Commission opened a window for claims and objections. Citizens whose names were missing from the list, as well as those seeking corrections or deletions, were allowed to submit applications until today.
To ensure wider access and participation, special voter registration camps were organised across Tamil Nadu on Saturday and Sunday, allowing people to complete the process at nearby polling stations and designated centres.
Election officials said that the response to the revision drive has been substantial. So far, about 1.28 million applications have been received for inclusion in the voter list. These applications will now undergo scrutiny by electoral registration officers before the preparation of the final roll.
The Commission has cautioned that voters who fail to submit applications by Sunday will have to wait until the next revision cycle, highlighting the importance of timely action.
Citizens were advised to verify their details using official channels and ensure that all required corrections were submitted before the deadline.
The final electoral roll will be published on February 17, after which it will be used for all electoral purposes. Officials said the revision exercise is a crucial step in strengthening the democratic process by ensuring both accuracy and inclusivity in the voters’ list.
(IANS)
