In final SIR list, TN gains 27.53 lakh electors, but 70 lakh names purged in all

The Election Commission (EC) on Monday (February 23) published the final electoral roll for Tamil Nadu following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik announced that the state now has 5,67,07,380 electors, a significant cleanup aimed at ensuring accuracy ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The SIR process, directed by the Election Commission, involved intensive house-to-house enumeration, verification, and removal of ineligible entries such as deceased persons, permanently-shifted voters, duplicates, and those untraceable. It ran from October 27, 2025 (when rolls were frozen at 6,41,14,587 electors) through to today's publication.

Key phases and figures

After the enumeration phase, the draft roll published on December 19, 2025, showed 5,43,76,756 electors reflecting the removal of over 97 lakh names (approximately 15 per cent of the original list), primarily due to deaths (26.94 lakh), permanent shifts or absentees (66.44 lakh), and multiple enrollments (3.39 lakh), with urban areas like Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Tiruppur seeing the highest deletions.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu SIR: Pallakkapatti voters cry foul after 123 living persons marked as dead

During the claims and objections window (December 19, 2025, to January 30, 2026), voters and parties filed applications for inclusions and corrections. As a result, 27,53,000 (27.53 lakh) eligible electors were added, while 4,23,000 (4.23 lakh) ineligible entries were further deleted. This led to a net reduction of around 74 lakh names from the pre-SIR total (or approximately 70 lakh as commonly reported in summaries), bringing the final electorate to 5,67,07,380.

Gender breakdown

Male: 2,77,38,925

Female: 2,89,60,838 (higher than males, continuing a state trend)

Third Gender: 7,617

Special Categories

Young electors (18–19 years): 12.51 lakh first-time voters boosting youth participation.

Persons with Disabilities: 4.63 lakh

Senior citizens (85+ years): 3.99 lakh

Updated roll strengthens electoral integrity: CEO Patnaik

The exercise drew scrutiny, with political parties raising concerns over the scale of deletions, lack of notices in some cases, and potential impact on genuine voters, particularly in migration-heavy urban pockets. However, officials emphasised that deletions followed verification, and opportunities for claims ensured inclusivity.

Also Read: Kamal Haasan raises SIR concerns in maiden Rajya Sabha speech

Patnaik stated that the updated roll strengthens electoral integrity, with lists now publicly available via the CEO Tamil Nadu portal (elections.tn.gov.in) and local offices. Voters are urged to verify their names promptly.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is set to visit Tamil Nadu on February 26-27 to meet political parties and officials for further preparations.