Archive · 2 Dec 2025
Goa's Electoral Roll Revision: 96.5% Forms Collected
The Chief Electoral Officer of Goa has collected and digitized over 96.5% of the enumeration forms for updating the electoral rolls.
Around 90,000 voters have been identified as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicate and will not be included in the draft roll.
The draft roll will be published on December 9, 2025, and people can submit claims and objections until February 7, 2026.
About 40,000 forms are still pending submission.
Additionally, around 2.2 lakh voters could not be mapped to previous records but will be included in the draft roll.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has faced criticism for the SIR process, particularly regarding the reference to the Citizenship Act and the document requirements.
The ECI has defended its powers and the successful implementation of the SIR in Bihar, arguing that the fears of mass disenfranchisement are unfounded.
The ECI has also extended the deadline for the SIR in some states due to slow progress and reported deaths of Booth Level Officers.
Over 11.45 lakh (96.5%) enumeration forms collected and digitized in Goa's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Around 90,000 voters identified as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicate and will not be included in the draft roll.
Draft electoral roll to be published on December 9, 2025, with claims and objections period until February 7, 2026.
Approximately 40,000 enumeration forms still pending submission, with a deadline of December 4, 2025.
Around 2.2 lakh voters could not be mapped to previous records but will be included in the draft roll.
- Who
- Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Goa, Sanjay Goel, and the Election Commission of India (ECI)
- What
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Goa and other states
- When
- Ongoing, with draft roll publication on December 9, 2025, and claims and objections period until February 7, 2026
- Where
- Goa, India, and other states including Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal
- Why
- To update and verify the electoral rolls, ensuring accuracy and removing ineligible voters, and to determine the citizenship status of electors for the limited purpose of ensuring eligibility for inclusion in the electoral roll
Citizenship Act Reference
EC's Defense
Citizenship Act Reference
Citizenship Act Reference
The initial draft order linked the SIR to the Citizenship Act, citing the 2003 amendment to justify the process, which raised concerns about disenfranchisement and a backdoor route to a National Register of Citizens (NRC).
EC's Defense
The EC defended its powers to determine the citizenship status of electors, relying on Article 324, Article 326, and the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The final order dropped the reference to the Citizenship Act.
Document Requirements
Citizenship Act Reference
The initial list of acceptable documents did not include widely held documents like Aadhaar, Voter ID, and ration card, causing confusion and panic among voters.
EC's Defense
The EC eventually accepted Aadhaar as an identity document after the Supreme Court ordered it to do so, and the list of acceptable documents was expanded to include other widely held documents.
Implementation and Deadlines
Citizenship Act Reference
The SIR process was criticized for being conducted hastily, with concerns about mass disenfranchisement, especially in states like Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
EC's Defense
The EC argued that the successful implementation of the SIR in Bihar proved that the process was not conducted hastily and that the fears of mass disenfranchisement were unfounded. The EC also extended the deadline for the SIR in some states due to slow progress and reported deaths of Booth Level Officers.
- Total Forms Collected
- 11.45 lakh (96.5%)
- Total Existing Electors
- 11.85 lakh
- Identified as Absent/Shifted/Dead/Duplicate
- 90,000
- Forms Yet to be Submitted
- 40,000
- Voters Not Mapped
- 2.2 lakh
- Draft Electoral Roll Publication Date
- December 9, 2025
- Claims and Objections Period
- December 9, 2025 - February 7, 2026
- Submission Deadline for Enumeration Forms
- December 4, 2025
- EC's Powers
- Article 324, Article 326, and the Representation of the People Act, 1950
- Citizenship Act Amendment
- 2003 amendment introduced the concept of an 'illegal migrant' and made citizenship by birth contingent on parental citizenship status
- SIR in Bihar
- Concluded on September 30, 2025, with a 6% reduction in the electorate
- SIR in Other States
- Announced on October 27, 2025, for Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal
- EC's Response to Criticism
- The EC argued that the SIR process was not conducted hastily and that the fears of mass disenfranchisement were unfounded. The EC also extended the deadline for the SIR in some states due to slow progress and reported deaths of Booth Level Officers.
Sources
SIR in Goa: 96.5% forms collected, 90,000 found to be ‘absent, shifted, dead or duplicate’, CEO says
SIR success in Bihar, doubts in Tamil Nadu, Bengal unfounded: Election Commission to SC
Why EC note on SIR was an early warning, citizenship became key issue in SC
