Election Commission Updates Gujarat Voter List Following Intensive Revision Exercise

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The Election Commission of India has released the new draft electoral roll for Gujarat. This comes after a large Special Intensive Revision exercise was conducted across the state. A total of 73.73 lakh names have been deleted by the authorities to ensure the list has the necessary accuracy and transparency.

This update fixes the issues of repeated records and addresses people who moved or passed away. These changes help prepare the state for upcoming elections with a reliable database. Explore the reasons for the deletions and how citizens can fix their voter registration status.

Key Reasons for the Massive Voter Deletion

The Election Commission conducted a deep cleanup to improve voter list purity. Officials found that "40,26,010 voters had permanently relocated" from their initial addresses. This shift often happens in busy industrial hubs like Surat and Ahmedabad. Records also showed that "18,07,277 deceased voters were included on the voter list" before this update.

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Another major issue involved "381,534 voters were found to be repeated" across various districts. Booth officers also noted that 9.6 lakh people were absent during house visits. These steps help remove ghost voters and ensure the list stays accurate.

This massive cleanup suggests a digital shadow effect where urban mobility outpaces administrative record-keeping, essentially creating a migrant data gap that only intensive physical verification can bridge. This highlights how fast-moving populations often leave old government data behind.

Process for Filing Claims and Objections

Voters have a chance to fix errors during the claims and objections window. This period runs from 19 December 2025, through 18 January 2026. If a resident is missing, Indian citizens whose names are not included in the draft electoral roll for any reason can fill Form No. 6. People can use Form 7 to remove ineligible names or Form 8 for corrections.

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They can apply through the Voter Helpline App or the official website for electronic submission. Booth Level Officers are also available at the polling stations for manual submission. Copies of the draft are with political parties to ensure the procedure is open.

However, this system literally turns a voter into a data auditor. Thus, the responsibility for data quality is to be taken by the citizen who is supposed to rectify errors on the part of the institution that are found during the SIR. A democratic system cannot function properly without the individual being vigilant.