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74 lakh names deleted: Tamil Nadu's final electoral list released after SIR
Over 74 lakh names have been deleted from the rolls, according to the final list.
The final electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, after the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, were released on Monday by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik. Over 74 lakh names have been deleted from the rolls, according to the final list.
Apart from assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, polls are also scheduled this summer in Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry and Assam.
Tamil Nadu SIR
Before the SIR exercise, the electorate stood at 6.41 crore as on October 27, 2025, which has now dropped to 5.67 crore as on February 23, 2026, as per the final list.
This indicates the removal of more than 74 lakh names from the list in the poll-bound state.
According to a release from the CEO Tamil Nadu, the electorate consists of 2.7 crore men, 2.8 crore women, and 7,617 third gender voters.
Notably, the Shozhinganallur assembly constituency in the Chengalpattu district of the state has recorded the highest number of electors with 5.36 lakh voters. Meanwhile, the Harbour assembly constituency recorded the lowest number of electors with 1.16 lakh voters.
Name deleted? Here's what to do next
The Election Commission said that voters who feel dissatisfied may contact the authorities after the final list is issued to seek addition or removal of names. It will also share the final roll with political parties.
As per Section 24(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, a voter may submit a first appeal to the District Election Officer if they wish to challenge a decision taken by the Electoral Registration Officer.
As per Section 24(b) of the Act, a second appeal may be filed before the Chief Electoral Officer against the decision of the District Election Officer.
SIR process in India
The present SIR exercise across the country is the ninth revision of electoral rolls since Independence, the previous one having taken place between 2002 and 2004.
The exercise, which has sparked a huge controversy, especially in West Bengal, was carried out in Bihar in July last year, where 6.9 million names were removed and 2.15 million were added.
