In one of the biggest electoral roll purifications in recent years, Tamil Nadu’s draft voter lists for all 31 districts have recorded the deletion of 98 lakh ineligible voters following the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise as draft rolls were released today.
The large-scale cleanup targeted deceased persons, duplicate entries, migrants, and untraceable voters, significantly streamlining the rolls ahead of the anticipated 2026 elections. Officials said the revision ensures greater accuracy and transparency in the state’s electoral database.
Coimbatore recorded the highest number of deletions, with 6.50 lakh names removed, reducing the district’s voter strength from 32.25 lakh to 25.74 lakh. Thiruvallur followed closely with 6.19 lakh deletions.
Several other districts also saw major corrections, including:
Salem – 3.62 lakh
Tiruchirappalli – 3.31 lakh
Kancheepuram – 2.74 lakh
Tirunelveli – 2.16 lakh
Thanjavur – 2.06 lakh
Namakkal – 1.93 lakh
Tenkasi – 1.51 lakh
Theni – 1.25 lakh
Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik released the draft rolls on December 19, urging citizens to carefully verify their details. Voters can check their names through respective district collectorate portals or ECI online platforms, and file claims or objections if discrepancies are found.
Officials reiterated that the objective of the exercise is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, while eliminating inaccuracies that could affect the democratic process