NationalSunday, 6 September 2026·The Hindu - National
ECI phase-3 SIR draft rolls show 15.7% voter list shrinkage across 17 States and UTs
Draft rolls under the third phase of Special Intensive Revision showed a 15.7% fall in voter lists across 17 States and Union Territories.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In September 2026, the Election Commission of India said draft rolls under the third phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) showed a 15.7% fall in voter lists across 17 States and Union Territories compared with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Key specifics
- The total voters fell from 35,50,50,008 in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to 29,93,00,115 in the draft rolls.
- Maharashtra recorded the largest absolute drop, losing 15,896,198 electors or 17.08%.
- Delhi and Chandigarh saw the sharpest percentage dips at 35.89% and 31.84%.
- Out of 6.15 crore deleted voters, only 1.11 crore were marked dead.
- The SIR exercise is over in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
Exam lens
Question type: Election process and voter roll revision, numbers, states, ECI procedure. TNPSC may ask what SIR means, which States have completed it, and how draft rolls differ from final rolls.