The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists has led to a major reduction in the number of registered voters across five states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur. According to the figures released by the Election Commission and state Chief Electoral Officers, the combined voter count has fallen from around 18.71 crore to 16.43 crore. This means nearly 2.29 crore voters have been removed, marking an overall decline of around 12.2%. These five states are expected to hold Assembly elections in early 2027.
Uttar Pradesh Accounts for the Biggest Decline
Uttar Pradesh has witnessed the sharpest fall among the five states. Before the SIR exercise, the state had around 15.44 crore registered voters. The draft voter list reduced this number to 12.56 crore, but after corrections and additions, the final count increased to 13.40 crore. Even after this recovery, around 2.04 crore voters were fewer than before the revision, representing a decline of nearly 13.24%. The state accounts for around 90% of the total reduction across all five states. Nearly 2.89 crore names were removed from the draft list, of which around 84 lakh were added back later.
Punjab Sees a Reduction of 14 Lakh Voters
Punjab recorded a decline of around 14 lakh voters after the revision, a fall of approximately 6.34%. The state's voter count dropped from around 2.15 crore to 1.94 crore in the draft list. After the correction process, the final count rose to around 2.01 crore. Nearly seven lakh voters whose names were removed from the draft list were added back. Among the five states, Punjab recorded one of the stronger recoveries during the revision process.
Uttarakhand and Manipur Also See Declines
Uttarakhand's voter count fell from around 80 lakh to 71 lakh in the draft list and later increased to around 72 lakh in the final list. The overall reduction was approximately eight lakh voters, or 10.07%. In Manipur, the number of voters declined from around 20.9 lakh to 19.3 lakh before reaching 19.6 lakh in the final list. This represents a fall of around 6.33%. According to the figures, nearly 17% of the names removed from Manipur's draft list were added back.
Goa Records a 10.76% Fall
Goa also witnessed a significant reduction in its voter count. The number of registered voters fell from around 11.85 lakh to 10.85 lakh in the draft list. The final list recorded a further decline, bringing the total down to approximately 10.58 lakh. Overall, around 1.3 lakh voters were removed, representing a reduction of nearly 10.76%. Goa is the only one of the five states where the final voter count was lower than the draft list, with no increase in the number of names after the draft stage.
Elections Expected in Early 2027
The Election Commission had ordered SIR in 17 states. The exercise is aimed at updating voter lists and giving eligible people who were previously left out another opportunity to register. Young people who turn 18 on or before January 1 will also get an opportunity to enrol as voters. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly, which has 403 seats, completes its term on May 22, 2027. The Assemblies of Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand, with 60, 40, 117 and 70 seats respectively, are due to complete their terms in March 2027 on different dates. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Election Commission can hold Assembly elections up to six months before the end of an Assembly's term.
