The Election Commission of India (ECI) has published the draft electoral rolls for the union territory of Chandigarh. As part of this process, over 66,000 voter names have been removed from the list.
According to The Tribune, a total of 66,147 voters were deleted from the draft rolls. These deletions happened because the election officials could not collect the enumeration forms of these voters during a recent house-to-house drive.
How the enumeration process worked
The ECI conducted a special summary revision of the electoral rolls in Chandigarh. A house-to-house enumeration was carried out between June 15 and July 14. During this period, officials visited homes to collect and verify voter information.
According to Hindustan Times, out of the 5,16,427 voters who were on the rolls before the enumeration began, forms of 4,50,427 voters were successfully collected and digitised. The remaining 66,147 forms could not be collected.
Why names were removed from the voter list
ECI sources told The Tribune that the uncollected forms correspond to voters who were reported as "permanently shifted, absent, dead, duplicate or otherwise untraceable" during the enumeration. This means the election authorities believe these individuals no longer live at their registered addresses or are no longer eligible to vote in Chandigarh.
What voters can do next: Claims and objections window
Voters whose names have been removed — or anyone who has a concern about the draft rolls — have a chance to fix the issue. The ECI has opened a window for filing claims and objections.
As reported by Hindustan Times, this period starts on July 21 and runs until August 20. During this month, voters can submit their claims to be added back to the list or raise objections if they find incorrect entries.
Our Take: A necessary cleanup, but vigilance is key
Deleting over 66,000 names from the electoral roll is a significant move. On one hand, cleaning up the voter list by removing dead, shifted, or duplicate entries is essential for fair elections. It prevents fraud and ensures that only eligible voters are on the rolls.
However, such large-scale deletions also carry a risk. Genuine voters who were simply missed during the house-to-house visit could lose their voting rights. The one-month window for claims and objections is a critical safeguard. In our view, the ECI and local authorities must actively inform residents about this process. Chandigarh voters should check the draft rolls immediately and file a claim if their name is missing. A clean voter list is good, but only if no eligible voter is left behind.
