Meghalaya draft electoral roll drops 1.8 lakh names; claims open till Sept 4
The draft electoral roll for Meghalaya, published on Wednesday (August 5, 2026), contains 21,69,243 electors across all 60 Assembly constituencies. This marks a reduction of 1,80,402 names from the previous count of 23,49,645, following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — a State-wide house-to-house verification exercise.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) B.D.R. Tiwari said the excluded names comprise 81,490 deceased electors, 45,011 untraceable or absent voters, 42,532 individuals who had permanently shifted, 6,701 duplicate entries, and 4,668 cases where enumeration forms were refused or fell under other categories.
The SIR exercise achieved 100% distribution and digitisation of enumeration forms, covering all 23,49,645 electors. Of these, 7,75,665 electors (33.01%) were directly linked with the 2005 SIR database, while 11,70,792 electors (49.83%) were mapped through their parents' or grandparents' electoral records. The remaining 2,22,786 electors (9.48%) could not be linked to the 2005 records and have been placed under the 'No Mapping' category.
Officials emphasised that being excluded from the draft roll does not mean automatic deletion. Each case will be examined individually during the claims and objections process, after issuing notices and affording an opportunity to be heard. The publication of the draft roll opens the statutory window for claims and objections, which will remain open till September 4.
According to the CEO, electors whose names appear in the draft roll and are successfully mapped with the 2005 records need not take any further action. Those whose names are not mapped will receive notices for verification. Eligible citizens whose names are missing from the draft roll may apply for inclusion by submitting Form 6 along with the prescribed declaration.
The draft roll can be inspected at designated locations across the State. Additionally, electors can check their details online through the office of the Chief Electoral Officer's website. During the claims period, individuals can file objections or seek corrections in the electoral details.
Tiwari urged all stakeholders, including political parties and civil society, to participate constructively in the claims and objections process. He also appealed to citizens to report any errors in the draft roll to the concerned authorities.
In a related move, the Election Commission has approved the rationalisation of polling stations in Meghalaya, creating 86 new polling stations. This increases the total number from 3,551 to 3,637 across the State, facilitating easier access for voters.
The revision is a routine exercise mandated by the Election Commission to maintain accurate electoral rolls. Citizens are advised to verify their names and submit claims if they have been missed. The final electoral roll will be published after the claims and objections process is completed.
