Nagaland SIR notices may be issued to nearly five lakh voters after electoral authorities found discrepancies while mapping voter details with the 2005 electoral roll. The notices are part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer Awa Lorin said on September 21 that 9.33% of electors fell under the “no mapping” category, while another 27.31% had mapping anomalies. Together, the two categories account for 36.64% of electors covered by the exercise.
Nagaland SIR notices linked to 2005 roll
The electoral authorities will issue Nagaland SIR notices to voters whose details could not be linked to the 2005 electoral roll. Notices may also go to people who cannot establish that they are the progeny of a person included in the earlier roll.
However, being absent from the 2005 electoral roll does not automatically mean that a voter will lose their current registration. Officials have said affected voters can establish a valid link with a person listed in the 2005 roll.
The process will involve Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs). Voters receiving notices will have to submit prescribed documents during verification.
Draft roll excludes nearly 1.59 lakh names
The draft electoral roll was published on September 20. Before the revision, Nagaland had 13,57,208 registered electors. Of these, 11,99,456 submitted their Enumeration Forms during the enumeration phase.
As a result, nearly 1.59 lakh entries were not included in the draft roll. Officials attributed the exclusions to several categories, including deceased voters, people who had shifted permanently, voters enrolled elsewhere and cases where forms were not submitted.
The figures include 29,944 deceased electors, 1,23,749 electors classified as absent, permanently shifted or under other categories, and 5,059 voters registered at multiple locations.
Claims period runs until October 20
Meanwhile, the publication of the draft roll has opened the claims and objections period. It will continue until October 20, allowing eligible voters to seek corrections or inclusion.
Genuine voters whose names were left out can submit Form-6 along with the prescribed declaration and supporting documents. New eligible voters can also apply if they turn 18 by the qualifying date of October 1, 2026.
Therefore, the draft roll does not represent the final list. Election officials will examine claims, objections and verification documents before completing the revision.
Verification hearings planned across Nagaland
The authorities have also planned hearing camps to assist voters affected by the mapping process. EROs may conduct these hearings at their offices, district headquarters or polling-station level, depending on local requirements.
During this stage, voters receiving Nagaland SIR notices will have an opportunity to explain discrepancies and submit documents supporting their claims. Officials have said the number of documents required will depend on the elector’s date or year of birth.
The notice and verification process is scheduled to continue until November 18. The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on November 22.
Officials have also clarified that no name will be removed from the draft roll without notice, an inquiry and an opportunity for the concerned person to present their case.
Aadhaar submission remains optional
Another clarification concerns Aadhaar details in the SIR enumeration process. Chief Electoral Officer Bhagyashree Banayat said submitting an Aadhaar number is optional.
She also clarified that Aadhaar by itself does not constitute proof of citizenship. Aadhaar and mobile-number details provided through the enumeration form are voluntary, and Aadhaar seeding is not being carried out in the electoral roll.
Overall, the next phase will focus on verification and claims. For voters affected by mapping discrepancies, Nagaland SIR notices will provide an opportunity to establish their eligibility and correct their electoral records before the final roll is published.