Puducherry CEO releases final electoral roll after SIR ahead of assembly polls

This revision, with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date, was intended to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter list.

According to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, the revision involved a 100 per cent physical verification of electors, conducted by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who personally delivered and collected enumeration forms.

This exercise identified and removed a significant number of ineligible electors, including those who were deceased, had permanently moved to other states, or had duplicate entries.

As per the final roll, the total electorate stands at 9,44,211, down from 10,21,578 in the draft roll published on December 16, 2025. During the revision period, 1,03,467 ineligible electors were removed, and 42,719 eligible voters were added, with 16,619 ineligible electors deleted following the Claims and Objections phase.

The final roll includes 23,033 electors in the 18-19 age group, 12,204 Persons with Disabilities (PwD), and 6,034 elderly electors aged 85 and above. "This revision ensures a cleaner, more accurate electoral roll, which is crucial for the upcoming elections," the Chief Electoral Officer's office release read.

To facilitate public access, the Final Electoral Roll is displayed at all polling stations on February 14 and 15, 2026. Voters can also inspect the list at Voter Facilitation Centres operated by Electoral Registration Officers for seven days, excluding holidays.

First-time electors, particularly those aged 18-19, and existing electors who have relocated to Puducherry will be issued their Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) by BLOs at their residential addresses. Voters who turned 18 by January 1, 2026, but did not apply for inclusion, may apply online or through BLOs during the ongoing update process.

Electors are encouraged to verify their names in the Electoral Roll and submit applications for inclusion, correction, or deletion, either online or offline. For any election-related queries, the public can contact the toll-free number 1950.

To address misinformation and disinformation during the election season, the Election Department has launched the Meiporul initiative, inspired by Tirukural Couplet 423. The initiative urges voters to "Pause, Verify, and Share" election-related information to combat the spread of false narratives.

This year, the union territory will hold elections for all 30 constituencies of the 16th Puducherry Legislative Assembly. While the Congress is fighting the polls in an alliance with DMK and CPI, the opposition consisted of All India NR Congress, BJP and AIADMK.

In 2021, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a simple majority in the elections and N Rangaswamy of the All India NR Congress was sworn in as the chief minister for the fourth time during that time. (ANI)