CHENNAI: Amid confusion over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process across the country, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has planned a special drive for inclusion of names in the electoral rolls, particularly benefiting those whose names were left out and young and first-time voters.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik on Thursday said that as per the commission's guidelines, a special drive would be undertaken across Tamil Nadu.

"The ECI has directed that in States and Union Territories where the SIR process has already been completed, a special drive shall be undertaken by the Chief Electoral Officer, District Election Officers (DEOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs)," she said.

During the drive, people whose names were missing from the electoral rolls, including young and first-time eligible voters, can apply for inclusion.

The CEO also clarified that applicants need not attach the declaration form used during the SIR process and can submit applications with valid documents. Applications can also be made for corrections in names and addresses.

The SIR exercise in Tamil Nadu had resulted in 97.37 lakh names being removed from the draft electoral roll. The draft roll, released on December 19, 2025, had 5.43 crore electors, compared with 6.41 crore before the revision.

According to the data released by the ECI, 66.44 lakh voters were categorised as shifted or absent, 26.94 lakh were identified as deceased and around 3.9 lakh were found to be enrolled at multiple places.

The exercise subsequently triggered political debate in Tamil Nadu. Minister and ruling party functionary Rajmohan claimed that the ruling party would have secured a majority in the Assembly if the SIR had not been implemented.

VCK leader D Ravikumar also attributed the DMK's electoral performance to the SIR process. These were political claims and have been disputed in the wider debate over the revision.