PANAJI:
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjay Goel on Sunday announced a major clean-up of Goa’s electoral database, revealing that nearly 90,000 voter names are set to be removed from the draft electoral roll scheduled for publication on December 9. The deletions follow extensive field verification under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
According to Goel, these names were flagged after enumeration teams found the voters to be “absent,” “shifted,” “dead,” or “duplicate” during door-to-door verification. “These 90,000 entries do not meet the eligibility criteria and will therefore be deleted from the draft roll,” he said.
In addition to the deletions, Goel disclosed that 2.20 lakh voters still face discrepancies under the SIR. These voters’ names could not be matched with the 2002 SIR data because their parents’ names were not found in past records.
Despite the mismatch, these voters will be included in the draft electoral roll. However, they will be required to prove their Indian citizenship. The CEO said that notices will be issued to all such voters from December 9, directing them to submit documentation establishing their parents’ presence in the 2002 SIR or alternative documents requested by the CEO’s office.
“The BLOs will examine each case individually,” Goel noted. “If they are satisfied with the documentation, the names will remain. Otherwise, they may be deleted from the final roll.”
Updating the status of the ongoing enumeration drive, Goel said that 96.5% of enumeration forms have been digitized. Out of Goa’s total 11.85 lakh voters, officials have already received 10.55 lakh forms, leaving only around 40,000 pending submissions.
The last date for voters to submit their enumeration forms is December 4.
The CEO confirmed that the draft electoral roll will be published on December 9, following which the window for filing claims and objections will remain open until January 8, 2026. This period will allow citizens to request corrections, additions, or deletions as required.
Goel urged citizens to cooperate with the verification process and ensure their documentation is in order. “The aim is to maintain an accurate and transparent electoral roll ahead of future elections,” he added.
