Uttar Pradesh Voters May Skip Hearings in Electoral Roll Revision, Send Representatives Instead
By Tajdar H Zaidi
Lucknow: In a move aimed at easing voter inconvenience, electors in Uttar Pradesh whose names appear in the draft electoral rolls after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) but who have been issued notices for hearings may soon be allowed to send authorised representatives in their place.
Sources in the State’s Chief Electoral Office said a formal directive permitting this arrangement could be issued as early as this week.
If approved, voters will have the option to upload required documents on the website of the Election Commission of India and authorise a representative to appear on their behalf before the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO).
Relief for Voters Facing Short-Notice Hearings
Officials said the proposal has been framed primarily for voter convenience.
“Many voters find it difficult to appear for hearings at short notice due to work, health, distance, or other personal constraints.
Allowing authorised representatives will help ensure that genuine voters are not inconvenienced,” sources explained.
Under the proposed system, a voter’s representative could include a family member or even a Booth Level Agent (BLA) of any political party active in the concerned polling area, provided an authorisation letter is submitted.
The move is also seen as being aligned with recent directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in a similar matter relating to West Bengal, where procedural flexibility was emphasised to protect voter rights while maintaining electoral integrity.
Over 3.26 Crore Voters May Receive Notices
According to official estimates, around 3.26 crore voters—out of the total 12.55 crore electors whose names appear in the post-SIR draft electoral roll of Uttar Pradesh—may receive notices requiring clarification or verification.
Of these:
- About 1.04 crore voters could not be mapped to the 2003 electoral rolls, the last time a Special Intensive Revision was carried out in the State.
- Around 2.22 crore voters have entries flagged for “logical discrepancies” during digital and manual verification.
Voters who could not be linked to the 2003 rolls are required to submit documents—selected from a list of 12 approved by the Election Commission—to establish their age, citizenship, and place of residence.
What Are “Logical Discrepancies”?
Voters flagged for logical discrepancies will also need to provide documents to resolve doubts raised during data analysis. These discrepancies include:
- An age gap of less than 15 years between parents and children
- One parent is linked to more than six children
- An age gap of less than 40 years between grandparents and grandchildren
- Mismatches or inconsistencies in names across records
Election officials clarified that these flags do not automatically imply wrongdoing but are part of routine checks to ensure accuracy and credibility of the voter rolls.
Draft List Published, Final Roll Due March 6
Out of 15.44 crore voters listed in the earlier 2025 electoral roll, 12.55 crore names were retained in the draft roll published on January 6.
Following its publication, a month-long period for claims and objections is currently underway.
After all objections, hearings, and verifications are completed, the final electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to be published on March 6, paving the way for future elections in the State.
Election officials reiterated that the objective of the entire exercise is to strike a balance between rigorous verification and voter-friendly procedures, ensuring that no eligible citizen is excluded from the democratic process.
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