Over 20 Lakh Voters Removed from Odisha Electoral Rolls; Deceased and Duplicates Cited
The Election Commission of India published the draft electoral roll for Odisha on July 5, 2026, revealing that over 20 lakh names have been deleted as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R.S. Gopalan stated that before the SIR, Odisha had 3,33,99,591 electors. The draft roll now contains 3,13,87,034 names, comprising 1,60,19,176 males, 1,53,65,083 females, and 2,775 transgender individuals.
Of the deleted names, 8.32 lakh (2.49% of total electors) were deceased, 10.07 lakh (3.02%) were either absent or had shifted, and 1.58 lakh (0.47%) were duplicate enrollments at multiple places.
The CEO's office clarified that booth-level lists of electors reported as deceased, permanently migrated, untraceable, or without received forms were shared with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties for verification.
As per the CEO, out of 3,33,99,591 electors, 3,13,87,034 (93.97%) submitted enumeration forms in the first phase. The process involved district election officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, Booth Level Supervisors, and volunteers across 45,250 polling booths. Field representatives of all seven recognised political parties participated, with 84,594 BLAs appointed.
Mr. Gopalan emphasised that no name could be deleted without notice and a speaking order, as per SIR guidelines. Aggrieved electors may appeal to the District Collector and then to the CEO under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
The Election Commission stated its commitment to a transparent, participative, and inclusive revision process, ensuring no eligible voter is omitted and no ineligible name remains.
Claims and objections can be filed from July 5 to August 4, 2026. Hearings and verification will occur until September 2, 2026, with the final electoral roll published on September 6, 2026.
Electors whose names are not in the draft roll can use Form 6 to apply for inclusion. Special camps will be held to enrol young voters who have or will turn 18 by July 1, 2026.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) challenged the draft report, claiming 27 lakh names were deleted, not 20 lakh. BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra pointed to inconsistencies: the final roll in 2025 had 3,40,72,744 voters, and earlier figures varied. He argued that the Election Commission's numbers lacked consistency.
