E-Paper
26-year-old man claims name deleted from Goa voter list despite SIR mapping; to move HC
In Goa, a total of 127,468 names—10.76% of 1,185,034 electors—were omitted from the final rolls published on February 21.
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Sherwyn Correia, 26, thought little of the notice informing him that his name could not be matched with anyone from his family that could establish his link to the electoral rolls prepared during the previous special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in 2002. He assumed the error would be easy to correct.
However, his name was deleted from the final electoral rolls of Goa. The lawyer and part-time musician from Vasco is now planning to move the Bombay high court at Goa, seeking restoration of his name and old EPIC number on the electoral rolls.
Also Read I Goa SIR: 88 of 97 left-out voters re-included after Form 6; 3 of remaining 9 hold Portuguese passports
Deep Dive
Correia’s predicament is shared by thousands across Goa and millions nationwide, amid growing questions about the functioning of the Election Commission. In Goa, a total of 127,468 names—10.76% of 1,185,034 electors—were omitted from the final rolls published on February 21.
Correia to file writ in High Court
A resident of Vasco, Correia said he received a notice stating that he had not provided details of himself or a relative that could establish his link to the previous SIR rolls. It said there was a “no match/likely incorrect match” with the earlier rolls, and asked him to appear before the assistant electoral registration officer (AERO). “It first seemed hilarious when I received the notice saying that they could not link my name to anyone in the 2002 rolls,” Correia said. “I didn’t think much of it since this seemed something that could easily be disproved.”
Correia’s enumeration form, a copy of which he received through an RTI application, shows he had filled in the details of his mother, whose name had figured in the 2002 SIR roll.
He appeared for the hearing on January 15, 2026, and submitted documentary evidence, including his own and his father’s birth certificates. His father had been an elector in the 2002 rolls. The documents were compared with the originals and taken on record.
Yet his enumeration form was rejected with the terse observation: “Matter called out. Elector present. Submits documents. EF rejected as either parent’s documents not submitted.”
Correia then appealed to the district electoral officer (DEO), who ruled in his favour on March 20. The DEO held that he had produced sufficient evidence to establish the required link with the previous SIR rolls and his eligibility as an ordinary resident.
Also Read I 'How does your system override law?': HC asks ECI over 7 voter deletions in Goa
But Correia says the name was not restored immediately. He was told by the AERO that a software glitch meant he would have to submit Form 6. The application was initially rejected but was later accepted. “I will be filing a writ in the high court shortly to have my name and old number restored since filing Form 6 is not the right way to go about it,” he said.
On October 1, Goa’s CEO said: “...It is reiterated that no eligible elector will be left behind.”
