BHUBANESWAR: With over 20 lakh names deleted from the draft roll and another 44,000 removed from the final electoral roll in the state as part of the special intensive revision (SIR), the chief electoral officer (CEO) on Tuesday announced a three-day special drive from October 7 to 9 for the inclusion of eligible left-out electors in the latest voter roll.
The CEO’s office has urged all eligible residents whose names have been left out to submit Form-6 for inclusion in the updated electoral roll.
Officials said the main objective of the state-wide drive is to include eligible voters who were left out of the roll during the SIR process and register newly eligible young citizens. Deputy CEO Laxmi Prasad Sahu told this paper that the drive to include eligible voters in the roll will continue till the end of October. However, the special campaign will be conducted across districts on October 7, 8 and 9 to sensitise voters and encourage those left out during the process to enrol themselves in the electoral roll. Applicants can directly approach their local booth- level officers (BLOs) for guidance and assistance throughout the submission process, Sahu said.
The CEO’s office informed that eligible voters inadvertently omitted from the final voter list during the SIR-2026 drive, as well as electors who were unable to take part in the mapping process, will get an opportunity to file their claims and objections and apply for inclusion during the drive.
To ensure maximum transparency, the list of absent, shifted, dead and duplicate voters prepared during the revision process has been made available on the official CEO Odisha portal as well as the respective district websites.
Citizens and political stakeholders will have the opportunity to verify these records and submit claims or objections if the name of any eligible voter has been mistakenly excluded or listed under any of these categories, the CEO’s office stated.
Officials said the list of identified entries will also be shared with representatives of all recognised political parties. Party representatives can review the lists and lodge necessary claims or objections to prevent improper exclusions or incorrect entries, they said.
Meanwhile, youths who have completed 18 years of age as of October 1, 2026, are also eligible to apply. Prospective young voters can register their names by submitting Form-6 through their respective BLOs, officials said.
Sources said EC officials have already conducted comprehensive training for all BLOs to handle applications smoothly and guide voters effectively during the drive. The BLOs have also been instructed to assist citizens in their respective jurisdictions to facilitate seamless registration for both left-out voters and new applicants.
