Uttar Pradesh Faces Massive Voter Enrollment Challenge with 3.5 Crore Eligible Citizens Missing
In a stark revelation during the 16th National Voters' Day programme in Lucknow, State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa highlighted a critical gap in Uttar Pradesh's electoral democracy. While the final voter list published on January 6 recorded an impressive 12.55 crore registered voters, over 3.5 crore eligible citizens in the state still remain outside the electoral rolls. This significant shortfall is primarily attributed to a lack of awareness and proactive registration among the populace.
Unprecedented Scale of Electoral Management in Uttar Pradesh
Rinwa emphasized that Uttar Pradesh's sheer size makes its electoral roll management a task of unprecedented coordination. He noted that only about five countries in the world have a bigger population or a larger voter base than the state. This scale complicates efforts to ensure comprehensive voter enrollment, requiring meticulous planning and execution by election authorities.
Cleaning and Revision of Voter Lists
The latest revision of the electoral rolls involved a thorough cleanup process, removing a large number of entries due to various reasons:
- Deaths of registered voters
- Duplication within and across polling stations
- Names of people who had permanently shifted residence years ago
This exercise resulted in the removal of more than 2.88 crore such entries from past lists, streamlining the database for greater accuracy.
The Core Challenge: Adding Missing Eligible Voters
Although the claims and objections period began on January 6, Rinwa stressed that the real challenge now is to add the millions of eligible citizens who remain outside the voter list. Based on demographic estimates, Uttar Pradesh should have around 16 crore voters, but barely 12.5 crore are currently enrolled. This means 3.5 crore eligible citizens above 18 years of age are still missing from the rolls because they have not filled Form-6, the application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll.
"Voter enrolment in India is voluntary, not automatic," Rinwa reminded, underscoring the need for individual initiative in the registration process.
Data Discrepancies and Verification Efforts
As per the SIR draft released on January 6, the total voter count stands at 12,55,56,025. However, significant data mapping issues have emerged:
- 2.22 crore voters mapped themselves incorrectly with the 2003 SIR list
- 1.04 crore voters could not be mapped at all
In response, the Election Commission is issuing notices to 3.26 crore voters to submit documents to verify their eligibility. The CEO particularly highlighted that women and youth have low enrolment rates, indicating targeted outreach is needed for these demographics.
Fieldwork and Special Campaigns
Rinwa praised booth level officers (BLOs) for their dedicated fieldwork during special campaign days on January 11 and January 18, when more than seven lakh forms were submitted in a single day. However, he emphasized that even this pace is insufficient, noting that ideally five lakh new forms are needed every day to bridge the enrollment gap effectively.
Verification Channels and Upcoming Drive
The CEO urged citizens to verify their names through multiple channels:
- The CEO Uttar Pradesh website
- The Voter Helpline App (ECI-NET)
- EPIC search facilities
- The 1950 helpline
Another special drive will be held on January 31, and Rinwa appealed to all voters to use these opportunities before the rolls are frozen ahead of upcoming elections. This call to action emphasizes the critical window available for eligible citizens to secure their voting rights and participate in the democratic process.
