The Electoral Roll Conundrum: On SIR Exercise in Nagaland

Nagaland is facing a familiar conundrum, similar to other states where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has already been conducted. The draft electoral rolls for the state under the SIR 2026, which were published on September 20, recorded a huge decline over the pre-SIR roll, with the Election office leaving out nearly 1.58 lakh entries during the 30-day door-to-door verification and enumeration exercise conducted across the state. As many as 36,629 electors were deleted from Dimapur alone, followed by Chümoukedima (28,626) and Kohima (24,178), while Meluri recorded the fewest uncollectable enumeration forms at 642. In addition to this, nearly five lakh electors in the state could come under further verification over discrepancies with the 2005 electoral roll, according to officials. This development calls for the need to find out the reason behind the decline. While lower enrolment in urban areas like Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Kohima, districts that recorded the highest number of deletions, could be due to application in their native villages as many maintain a strong connection with their roots, the total number of voters should not reduce due to the shifting of people from one place to another within the state. So, the possible reasons are a drastic decline in population, the existence of duplicate or multiple enrolments, an inability to produce the required documents, or a conscious decision not to get enrolled. If the deletion is due to duplicate enrolments, it is good riddance. But if it is due to other reasons like the failure to establish parental linkage, which many in rural areas could face, it is a cause for concern.

The SIR is a crucial democratic exercise meant to prevent electoral fraud by weeding out multiple entries, removing the deceased and including first-time voters. However, it can also cause mass disenfranchisement of legitimate voters. The marginalised sections of society, migrant workers, the rural population and married women are more vulnerable to exclusion due to documentation hurdles. To ensure that every eligible citizen is included in the electoral roll, a prerequisite for exercising their democratic right to vote, officials overseeing the enrolment process should assist genuine electors who need help. Individuals notified for further verification must do so by producing the required documents based on their date of birth, before the final electoral roll is published on November 22. As for citizens whose names are missing from the draft electoral rolls, they can apply for inclusion using Form 6 along with the supporting documents. Electors should use the claims and objections window, which closes on October 20, to get enrolled. Failure to do so will result in their names being excluded from the final electoral roll, thereby stripping them of the right to participate in the country’s political process.