Correspondent
Shillong, Aug 5 (NPN): Over 1.8 lakh names were deleted from the draft voters’ lists of Meghalaya, which was published on Wednesday, as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 of the electoral roll, an election official said on Wednesday.
Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr Brahma Deo Ram Tiwari said 1,80,402 electors—constituting 7.68 per cent of the total electorate—were excluded, with 81,490 of the deletions being attributed to the death of voters.
He further informed that 42,532 names were deleted due to permanent shifting, 45,011 were untraceable or absent, 4,668 voters refused to accept the enumeration form, and 6,701 were found to be enrolled at more than one location.
The CEO said 2,22,786 voters could not be mapped with the 2005 SIR database during the enumeration phase revision.
He said that their records will undergo further verification during the claims and objections period to ascertain their status and ensure that no eligible voter is left out.
Tiwari said that 23,49,645 voters were registered in the state’s electoral rolls prior to the SIR enumeration phase which began on June 30, 2026.
Following the completion of the phase in July 30, 2026, the draft electoral roll now features 21,69,243 electors, he said.
Voters have one month to submit claims and objections for inclusion or deletion of names from the draft list starting from August 5, 2026 to September 4, 2026.
The CEO urged all eligible citizens whose names do not appear in the draft roll, or whose details are incorrect, to file claims within the stipulated period.
He also appealed to family members to report cases of deceased electors or those who have permanently shifted out, so that the roll can be kept updated.
The final electoral rolls of all the 60 assembly constituencies in the state will be published on October 7, 2026, after disposal of all claims and objections in accordance with the statutory provisions, Tiwari said.
The SIR was conducted with reference to January 1, 2026 as the qualifying date. This is the first comprehensive revision since 2005, and the exercise involved door-to-door verification, collection of documents and cross-checking with existing databases.
The state election department has set up helpdesks at the district and sub-divisional levels to address queries from the public during the claims period.
With the publication of the draft roll and the addition of new polling stations, the Election Department said preparations for the next electoral cycle are now underway, with emphasis on transparency, accuracy and voter facilitation across all 60 Assembly constituencies.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India has also approved the creation of 86 new polling stations in Meghalaya, taking the total number of polling stations to 3,637
Tiwari said the new polling stations have been set up based on population, geographical factors and accessibility, particularly in rural and far-flung areas, to reduce the distance voters have to travel on polling day and to ease congestion at existing stations.