1.04 crore voters ‘unmapped’ in UP draft roll after SIR exercise

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Uttar Pradesh’s electoral rolls has left 1.04 crore voters — nearly 8% of the electorate — categorized as ‘unmapped’, triggering a fresh round of verification ahead of the final publication of rolls on March 6.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said notices are being issued to these voters, outlining the documents required to secure inclusion in the final list. The draft roll, released on January 6, retains 12.55 crore voters out of 15.44 crore listed earlier.

What ‘unmapped’ means

Explaining the term, Rinwa said the SIR enumeration sought to link voters with the 2003 intensive electoral roll. Those whose names did not appear were asked to provide parental or grandparental details — a verification process referred to as mapping.

“About 91% of voters have been successfully mapped. The remaining 1.04 crore voters have not been mapped, and notices to them began going out from January 6,” Rinwa said, adding that the notices specify acceptable documents for verification.

Political parties have been asked to prioritise scrutiny of the draft rolls, while voters have been urged to check their names and submit Form 6 for inclusion or correction if required. Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) will publicly read out draft rolls in their areas on January 11.

Claims, objections and timelines

• Claims and objections: January 6 to February 6
• Disposal of claims: January 26 to February 27
• Final publication: March 6

Rinwa clarified that individuals who turned 18 by January 1, 2026, or were born before January 1, 2008, are eligible for immediate inclusion. Those turning 18 by October 1, 2026, can apply now, though their names will be added only upon attaining voting age.

The CEO also noted that over 15 lakh Form 6 applications are pending scrutiny or uploading.

Massive deletions in revised rolls

The draft roll reflects 2.89 crore deletions (18.7%), attributed to deaths, permanent migration and duplicate registrations. Data shows:

• 2.17 crore voters shifted or were absent
• 46.23 lakh deceased voters
• 25.57 lakh duplicate registrations

Rinwa said these names could not be retained as BLOs were unable to locate the electors or receive completed forms by the December 26, 2025 deadline.

Scale of the exercise

Calling it one of the largest such exercises in the country, the CEO said the SIR involved over 7 lakh officials and agents, including 1.62 lakh BLOs and 5.76 lakh Booth-Level Agents across the state’s 75 districts.

He added that the process also included rationalisation of polling stations, lowering the voter cap per booth from 1,500 to 1,200. As a result, 15,030 new polling stations have been created.

Despite criticism over delays, the Election Commission maintains the revision was essential to ensure a cleaner, more accurate electoral roll ahead of future polls.