Gujarat has completed a special intensive revision of its voter lists as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India. Under this process, voter lists were verified across the state and their draft was published on Friday. The SIR campaign started on October 27 and continued for about one and a half months.
mass verification of voters
During the campaign, comprehensive verification of all the voters in the state was done, thereby ensuring the information of a total of more than 4.34 crore voters. Out of total 5.08 crore voters, 73.73 lakh names have been removed from the draft list. This step was taken to remove the names of voters who had died, who were permanently residing at other places or whose names were registered at two places. Voters whose names have been removed from the list can lodge claims and objections till January 18, 2026. The final voter list will be published on February 17, 2026.
Following are the main reasons for removing names from the voter list:
1. Dead Voters: 18,07,278
2. Voters found absent: 9,69,662
3. Permanently Overseas Voters: 40,25,553
4. Voters registered at two places: 3,81,470
5. Other reasons: 1,89,364
During the SIR campaign, Chief Electoral Officer Harit Shukla said that the election machinery across the state made collective efforts to complete the process within the stipulated time. 33 District Election Officers, 182 Voter Registration Officers, 855 Assistant Officers, 50,963 Booth Level Officers, 54,443 Booth Agents and 30,833 volunteers were involved in this work. Apart from this, support was also received from political parties, media and civil society organizations.
Municipal corporations and municipalities in urban areas of Gujarat also cooperated in this process. All census forms were digitized and information of 4.34 crore voters was updated. At the booth level, officials went door-to-door to identify the dead, permanent migrants and voters registered at two places. Some voters could not submit the forms within the stipulated period or they shifted and registered at other places. Therefore their names were not included in the draft list.
Review meetings with booth level representatives
After preparing the draft list, review meetings were held with booth level representatives of political parties. All recognized political parties in each district were provided with two copies of the voter list – one printed with photo and one soft copy. The lists of voters whose forms had not arrived have also been shared for verification. Political parties have been asked to scrutinize the list closely and, if necessary, help voters lodge claims and objections by February 18, 2026.
Also, young citizens who have turned 18 years of age by January 1, 2026, can apply to get their names registered in the final voter list. The draft list is available at all polling stations and designated places. It can also be viewed online on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer ceo.gujarat.gov.in.
Following the SIR campaign and preparation of the draft voter list, the voter registration and verification process for the upcoming elections in Gujarat has become robust and transparent, which will help in maintaining confidence in the electoral system.
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