Odisha final electoral roll 2026: Electorate at 3.16 crore after SIR
Synopsis
Odisha's voter list has been overhauled through its most intensive revision in years — starting with 3.33 crore voters, cutting over 20 lakh names through field verification, and closing at 3.16 crore after a net addition of 2.45 lakh through claims and objections. The CEO also pushed back on reports of large-scale arbitrary deletions, saying 37,000 of 57,000 Form 7 deletion requests were rejected.
Key Takeaways
Odisha's final electoral roll was published on Monday, 21 September 2026 with 3,16,32,000 voters .
The revision began with 3.33 crore voters ; 20,12,000 names were removed during enumeration, including 8.32 lakh deceased and 8.08 lakh shifted voters .
Draft roll published on 5 July 2026 had 3,13,87,034 electors; net addition of 2.45 lakh followed the claims and objections process.
Final roll includes 1,61,30,319 male , 1,54,99,661 female , and 2,774 third-gender voters.
Of 57,000 Form 7 deletion applications received, around 37,000 were rejected and only 20,000 deletions were made.
Continuous updation continues with no deadline; next qualifying date is 1 October 2026 .
Odisha has published its final electoral roll following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Roll, 2026, with the state's total electorate standing at 3,16,32,000 voters, Chief Electoral Officer R.S. Gopalan announced on Monday, 21 September 2026. The revision, which used 1 July 2026 as the qualifying date, involved a comprehensive verification drive that began with 3.33 crore voters on the rolls.
Key Deletions During the Revision
During the enumeration stage, officials removed 20,12,000 names after field verification. Of these, 8.32 lakh were deceased voters, 8.08 lakh had permanently shifted out of their constituencies, 1.58 lakh were found to have multiple entries, and approximately 2 lakh voters could not be traced. The Draft Electoral Roll was subsequently published on 5 July 2026 with 3,13,87,034 electors.
Claims, Objections, and Final Count
Following the draft publication, authorities issued notices to 58.36 lakh voters during the revision process. After hearing cases and disposing of claims and objections, around 24,000 voters were found ineligible and removed, while approximately 20,000 further deletions were made based on Form 7 applications. The claims and objections process ultimately resulted in a net addition of 2.45 lakh voters, bringing the final electorate to 3,16,32,000.
Voter Composition and Gender Breakdown
The final roll comprises 1,61,30,319 male voters, 1,54,99,661 female voters, and 2,774 third-gender voters, according to CEO Gopalan. The gender breakdown reflects a near-equal split, with male voters holding a marginal lead of roughly 6.3 lakh over female voters.
Response to Deletion Controversy
Addressing reports of large-scale deletion requests, Gopalan clarified that the Election Commission received only 57,000 Form 7 applications seeking deletion of names during the claims and objections period. Of these, around 37,000 applications were rejected, while approximately 20,000 deletions were finally made. The clarification appears aimed at countering concerns about arbitrary or politically motivated removals from the voter list.
Continuous Updation and What Comes Next
CEO Gopalan confirmed that the electoral roll will continue to be updated through the regular process, with no deadline for eligible voters to submit Forms 6, 7, and 8 for addition, deletion, or correction of entries. The next qualifying date is 1 October 2026, and National Voters' Day will be observed on 25 January. Before the final roll was published, Gopalan met representatives of all recognised political parties in the state and provided each with identical soft or hard copies of the published roll — a step designed to ensure transparency and political confidence in the revision process.
Point of View
But the more telling detail is the CEO's pushback on deletion controversy — 37,000 of 57,000 Form 7 deletion applications were rejected, suggesting the commission exercised meaningful scrutiny rather than rubber-stamping removal requests. Historically, voter list revisions in India have attracted allegations of targeted deletions along community or political lines; the transparency measures taken here — sharing identical copies with all recognised parties — are a positive signal, though independent civil society verification remains the gold standard. With the next qualifying date arriving on 1 October, the roll's accuracy will face its first live test sooner than most observers may expect.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the final voter count in Odisha's electoral roll 2026?
Odisha's final electoral roll for 2026 has 3,16,32,000 voters , comprising 1,61,30,319 male voters, 1,54,99,661 female voters, and 2,774 third-gender voters. The roll was published on 21 September 2026 following the Special Intensive Revision.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Roll?
The Special Intensive Revision is a periodic, comprehensive exercise conducted by the Election Commission to clean up voter lists by removing deceased, shifted, duplicate, and untraceable voters, while adding newly eligible electors. In Odisha's 2026 SIR, the qualifying date was 1 July 2026.
How many names were removed from Odisha's voter list during the 2026 revision?
A total of 20,12,000 names were removed during the enumeration stage, including 8.32 lakh deceased voters, 8.08 lakh who had permanently shifted, 1.58 lakh with duplicate entries, and around 2 lakh who could not be traced. An additional 24,000 were removed after the claims and objections process.
Were there large-scale arbitrary deletions from Odisha's voter list?
Chief Electoral Officer R.S. Gopalan clarified that the Election Commission received only 57,000 Form 7 deletion applications during the claims and objections period, of which around 37,000 were rejected. Only approximately 20,000 deletions were finally made based on those applications.
How can Odisha voters update their details or get added to the electoral roll?
Voters can submit Form 6 for addition, Form 7 for deletion, and Form 8 for correction of entries at any time, as there is no deadline under the continuous updation process. The next qualifying date is 1 October 2026 and National Voters' Day falls on 25 January.
