In a significant development for India's most populous state, the draft electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh, published after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), has identified a staggering 1.4 crore voters as 'unmapped'. This figure represents 8% of the total 12.55 crore voters on the provisional list. State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa announced that these voters will now receive official notices to complete their documentation for inclusion in the final voter list due in March.
What Does 'Unmapped Voter' Mean?
Clarifying the term at a press conference, CEO Navdeep Rinwa explained the mapping process. During the enumeration, officials checked voter details against the last intensive electoral roll from 2003. If a voter's name was absent from that 2003 list, they were asked to provide names of parents or grandparents to establish a legacy link—a process termed 'mapping'.
"In UP, about 91% of voters have been mapped. This is only in the context of the 12.55 crore voters… Around 8% or 1.4 crore voters have not been mapped. Notices will be sent to such people," Rinwa stated. He added that the notice period began on January 6, 2026, and the communication will detail the documents required as proof for final inclusion.
Key Deadlines and Voter Action Steps
The electoral machinery has set a clear timeline for the revision process. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will publicly read the draft list in their areas on January 11, 2026. The window for claims and objections is open from January 6 to February 6, 2026. Authorities will resolve these claims between January 26 and February 27, culminating in the final publication of the voter list on March 6, 2026.
Rinwa urged all voters and political parties to verify names in the draft roll. "If their name is not in the draft roll, then they have to fill Form 6. One can also apply for corrections," he advised. He clarified that individuals who turned 18 by January 1, 2026 (born on or before January 1, 2008) are eligible to apply. Youngsters who will turn 18 by October 1, 2026, can also file Form 6, but their names will be added only upon reaching the qualifying age, not in the March list.
The CEO also revealed a backlog, with over 15 lakh Form 6 applications awaiting scrutiny and upload into the system.
Major Deletions and the Scale of the SIR Exercise
The draft roll saw substantial changes from the previous list. From an earlier count of 15.44 crore voters (as of October 27, 2025), the draft retained 12.55 crore. This involved 2.89 crore deletions (18.70%) for reasons including death, permanent migration, and duplicate registrations. The breakdown is as follows:
- 2.17 crore (14.06%) voters had shifted or were absent.
- 46.23 lakh (2.99%) were deceased voters.
- 25.57 lakh (1.65%) were registered at more than one place.
Rinwa attributed the 2.89 crore names not being added to voters who could not be located by BLOs or whose forms were not received by the December 26, 2025, deadline.
The sheer scale of the exercise in Uttar Pradesh was massive, involving over 7 lakh officials and agents. This included district election officers from all 75 districts, 403 Electoral Registration Officers, and more than 1.62 lakh Booth Level Officers. Additionally, the revision rationalized polling stations, creating 15,030 new booths based on a new norm of 1,200 voters per booth instead of the earlier 1,500.
With notices now being dispatched, the focus shifts to the 1.4 crore unmapped voters to submit their documents and secure their fundamental right to vote in the world's largest democracy.
