Maharashtra's electoral rolls are in the middle of their most rigorous overhaul in years — and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis wants every eligible citizen to know exactly where they stand. On Tuesday, 6 October 2026, the Chief Minister took to X to share a detailed breakdown of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 process, urging voters to verify their names and act before the window closes.

Sharing the data in Marathi, Fadnavis wrote: 'अचूक आणि अद्ययावत मतदार यादी, विश्वासार्ह निवडणूक प्रक्रियेचा आधार!' ('An accurate and updated voter list is the foundation of a credible election process!'). The post laid out, point by point, what the SIR exercise has produced so far — and what eligible voters must do next.

From 9.78 crore to 7.71 crore: what the numbers mean

The headline figure in Fadnavis's post is a sharp one. Before the SIR exercise began, Maharashtra's baseline electoral roll carried more than 9.78 crore voters. The draft list published on 31 August 2026 now lists more than 7.71 crore voters — a reduction of roughly two crore entries.

That gap is not deletion; it is cleaning. Voters whose enumeration forms were not received have been moved to a separate ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate) list, which has also been made public. Citizens can download the ASDD list polling-station-wise and check their status using their EPIC (Electors' Photo Identity Card) number, personal details, or registered mobile number on the Chief Electoral Officer Maharashtra's website.

How to get back on — or get on for the first time

For eligible voters whose names do not appear in the draft roll, the path back in is straightforward. Form-6, submitted with a declaration, allows any qualified citizen to apply for inclusion. First-time voters who turn 18 years of age on or before 1 October 2026 are also eligible to apply through the same Form-6 route.

Applications can be submitted online through the Election Commission of India's Voter Services Portal, or offline at the office of the concerned Voter Registration Officer. Once verified, qualifying names will be added to the final electoral roll.

Why this revision matters beyond a routine update

The Special Intensive Revision is not an ordinary annual update. It is a ground-up re-enumeration where booth-level officers physically verify voters door to door — making it the most credible mechanism for weeding out ghost entries, duplicate registrations, and names of deceased or shifted individuals. A cleaner roll means fewer contested results, fewer allegations of bogus voting, and a stronger mandate for whoever wins.

For a state the size of Maharashtra — India's second most populous and politically one of its most consequential — getting the voter list right is not a bureaucratic formality. It is the first line of democratic integrity. Fadnavis's detailed public communication signals an effort to make the process transparent and participatory, pushing the burden of verification onto citizens rather than letting errors compound quietly.

Every eligible voter who has not yet checked the draft list now has a deadline on the clock — and a direct digital route to fix any gap before it costs them their vote.