Maharashtra: 1 in 5 voters dropped from draft roll in state-wide revision
Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer released the state's draft electoral roll on September 1, 2026, revealing that over 2.06 crore names—about 21% of all registered voters—were deleted following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise carried out in recent months. The revision is a routine but rigorous procedure aimed at cleaning the electoral list by removing ineligible or duplicate entries.
According to the data, the draft roll previously contained over 9.78 crore voters across the state's 288 assembly constituencies. Of these, 7.71 crore names (79.86%) were retained, while the remaining 2.06 crore names were removed for reasons including death, permanent migration, duplicate enrolment, or being untraceable during house-to-house verification.
The deletions were not uniform across the state. The highest proportion was recorded in Thane district, where 38.18% of names were struck off. Other urban districts followed closely: Mumbai City (37.2%), Mumbai Suburban (33.95%), Pune (31.97%), Nagpur (31.11%), and Palghar (28.14%). This pattern suggests that the largest concentration of deletions occurred in areas with high population mobility and dense urban settlement.
Breaking down the deletion reasons statewide, the largest category is 'permanently shifted'. As many as 76.76 lakh people (7.8% of the total pre-revision electorate) were removed because they had moved away from their registered address. A similar number, 75.41 lakh (7.7%), were classified as 'untraceable/absent' during the verification drive. The electoral roll also dropped 34.82 lakh names (3.6%) of deceased voters and 17.66 lakh entries (1.8%) that were found to be duplicate—meaning the individuals were already enrolled elsewhere.
District-level figures highlight the urban nature of the problem. For instance, in Thane, out of the total 38.18% deletions, nearly 23.4 percentile points—around 17 lakh names—came from 'untraceable/absent' individuals. Similarly, Pune saw 19.9% of its entire electorate removed under this category, translating to roughly 17.8 lakh names. These numbers underscore the challenge of maintaining accurate address records for voters living in metropolitan areas, where shifting residences is common.
It is important to note that this is the draft roll, not the final voters' list. The deletion of a name does not automatically disenfranchise a person. The Election Commission has scheduled a period for claims and objections, allowing voters who believe their names were removed erroneously to approach the electoral authorities with proof. The SIR process includes field verification by booth-level officers, and the final roll will be published after all disputed cases are reviewed.
Officials have said that the SIR was conducted across all districts in a structured manner, with a focus on making the electoral roll accurate and free of counterfeit entries. The large number of deletions, especially in urban constituencies, is being studied to identify areas where voter awareness campaigns may be needed. While some experts point out that high deletion rates may affect the voter base of certain political parties, the Election Commission maintains that the exercise is purely administrative and follows established guidelines.
As the state gears up for future elections, the draft roll serves as a reminder to citizens to verify their names and update their registration details. Voters can check the draft roll on official portals and either confirm their inclusion or file a claim to correct any mistake. Those who have been removed due to shifting can also re-register at their current address. The final electoral roll, expected after the resolution of claims and objections, will form the basis of voting in the next assembly elections.
