TN’s Voters Deleted in Draft Rolls Scramble to Save Their Mandate
📅 December 31, 2025
✍️ Editor: Sudhir Choudhary, The Vagabond News
Thousands of voters in Tamil Nadu are scrambling to restore their names to the electoral rolls after discovering that they were deleted from the draft voter lists, triggering confusion, anger, and urgent appeals ahead of upcoming electoral deadlines.
The deletions came to light after the Election Commission of India (ECI) published the draft electoral rolls as part of its routine revision exercise. Across several districts, voters reported finding their names missing despite having voted in previous elections without interruption.
Sudden Deletions Spark Panic
Affected voters say they only became aware of the deletions when they checked the draft rolls online or visited local election offices. Many described long queues at taluk and municipal offices as citizens rushed to file objections and submit documents to reclaim their voting rights.
“I have voted in every election for 20 years. Suddenly my name is gone,” said a resident of Chennai. “If I hadn’t checked the draft list, I would have lost my right to vote.”
Political parties and civil society groups claim the deletions disproportionately affect urban voters, migrant workers, elderly citizens, and people living in rented accommodation.
Election Officials Respond
Election officials in Tamil Nadu said the deletions were part of a standard verification process aimed at removing duplicate, shifted, or deceased voters from the rolls. Officials stressed that the draft list is not final and that eligible voters have the right to file claims and objections within the stipulated period.
“This is precisely why draft rolls are published,” a senior election official said. “No eligible voter will be denied the right to vote if they submit the required correction forms in time.”
Officials urged voters to use the ECI’s online portal or visit nearby election offices to submit Form 6 for inclusion or correction.
Political Row Escalates
The issue quickly escalated into a political controversy, with opposition parties accusing authorities of negligence and alleging that large-scale deletions could influence future elections.
Leaders from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and other regional parties demanded transparency, asking the ECI to publish detailed data explaining the reasons for deletions across constituencies.
“Voter disenfranchisement, intentional or not, strikes at the heart of democracy,” a senior DMK leader said. “The Commission must ensure no genuine voter is left out.”
Grassroots Efforts to Restore Names
Political parties, NGOs, and student groups have launched door-to-door campaigns to help voters verify their names and complete paperwork. Volunteers are assisting elderly residents and first-time voters in navigating the online correction process.
Legal experts say voters whose names are deleted without due notice may also approach district election officers or file formal complaints if corrections are not addressed promptly.
What Lies Ahead
The final electoral rolls will be published after the claims-and-objections period ends. Election authorities insist that all legitimate claims will be processed before the rolls are finalized.
For now, voters across Tamil Nadu are racing against time—armed with Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and voter IDs—to ensure their democratic mandate is not lost to a bureaucratic oversight.
Source: Election Commission of India statements and reporting by The Hindu and PTI.
Tags: Tamil Nadu, Electoral Rolls, Voter Deletion, Election Commission of India, Voting Rights, Indian Democracy
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