Draft electoral rolls reveal marginal decrease in number of voters in Tamil Nadu

In an informal meeting with media persons, Sahoo said there were 5.86 crore voters in the previous list of final electoral roll released on January 10 this year. However, 5.78 lakh voters were deleted on account of death, shifting and duplicate entries. 1.82 lakh voters were newly added in the list during the updation period.

Sahoo also said the draft electoral roll will be published on Saturday in all the districts at designated locations such as polling stations and school buildings. 

The roll will also be put up on the election commission website and copies of it will be handed over to recognised political parties by the district election officers.

With 6.07 lakh voters, Sholinganallur constituency continues to be the largest constituency in the State. The Harbour constituency in Chennai is the smallest with 1.64 lakh voters.

Special campaigns will be conducted on four days (September 9, 23, October 7 and 14) in the polling booths where forms for inclusion, deletion, modification, transposition of entries in the electoral roll will be available. Filled forms can be submitted in the same booths, said Sahoo.

The CEO further said that persons completing 18 years of age as on January 1, 2019, and persons whose names were not included in the list can apply for inclusion. 

Except for those seeking registration for the first time, all other applicants must furnish their old address and EPIC number.

“If the name of the voter is already on the roll but has lost or misplaced the EPIC, then the person may apply any time at the taluk or zonal office using Form 1,” said Sahoo.

Earlier, Sahoo convened the all-party meeting on the release of the draft electoral rolls.

Representatives of all the major parties participated and expressed grievances such as the inclusion of single voter’s name in two booths and the removal of many people from a single constituency. 

The party representatives demanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) conduct a free and fair parliamentary polls.