Delhi SIR voter list: 47.6 lakh names removed, what voters must do

Delhi SIR voter list: what happened to 47.6 lakh names

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi’s electoral rolls to remove duplicate, dead, shifted, or illegal entries. The draft roll published on 31 August 2026 contained only 97.5 lakh electors, down from 1.45 crore registered voters when the exercise began in June 2026 [1]. Around 47.6 lakh people were excluded at the draft stage and categorised as Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, or Others (ASDD) [2]. Exclusion from the draft roll is not final deletion; voters can still respond before the final roll is published.

Why citizens face a documentation crisis

Voters who received notices must prove their eligibility at hearing centres or online. The ECI prescribes 11 identity proofs for SIR verification, and submitting only an Aadhaar card is not sufficient [1]. Accepted documents include Aadhaar, PAN card, voter ID, ration card, educational certificates, and bank passbook. The Hindu reported that at one Chandni Chowk hearing centre, an official said none of the visitors had the required documents, and at least 50 people are turned away daily for lacking a single valid document. The burden falls hardest on poorer, less-documented voters. Sanichari Devi, a 63-year-old daily-wage earner from Chandni Chowk, lost ₹400-500 in a day’s wages while trying to produce papers, and Ram Chandar, a housekeeping worker who has lived in Delhi for 37 years, said his entire family received notices over details dating back to 2002.

High-profile notices: Kejriwal family and the chief minister

Notices were issued to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and four members of his family—his wife Sunita Kejriwal, son Pulkit Kejriwal, and parents Gobind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi [2]. They are among 110 voters from Part-51, KG Marg in the New Delhi constituency served notices. Current chief minister Rekha Gupta also received a notice, but her entry was later validated and will be included in the final roll for AC-14 (Shalimar Bagh). The Election Commission said notices go to electors whose enumeration forms lacked sufficient details to link them with the last revision’s roll or who show logical discrepancies such as name mismatches [2]. By 16 September, 68,043 Form 6 applications seeking inclusion had been submitted.

Key dates and next steps

• Draft roll published: 31 August 2026
• Claims and objections window: open until 30 September 2026
• Disposal of notices: to be completed by 29 October 2026
• Final electoral roll publication: 4 November 2026

Voters can submit replies or requisite documents to the Electoral Registration Officer concerned, either online using the QR code on the notice or at designated hearing centres [2]. The Supreme Court has agreed to give precedence to a plea challenging the Delhi SIR process [1].

What voters should do now

If your name appears in the ASDD categories or you have received a notice, check whether you can link your details to the previous electoral roll. Keep documents ready that establish identity, address, and date of birth. Remember that exclusion from the draft roll is not the same as removal from the final roll; citizens still have an opportunity to respond before 29 October 2026.