Photo Courtesy: nenow
Shillong: Meghalaya’s Chief Electoral Officer, B.D.R. Tiwari, published the 2026 draft electoral roll on August 5. The release covers all 60 Assembly constituencies under the Special Intensive Revision. This marks the start of a month-long window for voters to file claims or objections. The deadline is September 4.
The state has 21,69,243 registered voters in this draft. This count includes 10,53,039 men, 11,16,199 women, and five third-gender electors. This is a drop from the initial 23,49,645 voters identified during the house-to-house enumeration exercise.
Officials flagged 1,80,402 individuals—nearly 8 percent of the electorate—under the Absent, Shifted, Deceased, and Duplicate categories. This list includes 81,490 deceased persons, 45,011 untraceable residents, 42,532 who shifted away, 6,701 duplicates, and 4,668 who refused to participate. Another 2,22,786 voters remain in a “No Mapping” category because their records could not be linked to the 2005 database.
Vibhor Aggarwal, the District Election Officer for West Garo Hills, noted the gravity of the process. He told the media, “The publication of the draft electoral rolls is a key milestone in the ongoing revision exercise.”
Aggarwal oversaw the distribution of rolls in Tura to representatives from the NPP, INC, BJP, AITC, UDP, GNC, and NCP. In East Garo Hills, District Election Officer R.P. Marak distributed rolls to INC, AITC, and NPP officials in Williamnagar. Beyond parties, copies are available at polling stations, Block Development Offices, and with traditional leaders like Nokmas and Dorbar Shnongs.
The Election Commission also rationalized polling locations. The state added 86 new polling stations. This brings the total count to 3,637. Authorities plan to finalize the rolls on October 7. Discrepancies should be reported to Booth Level Officers or via the Voters’ Service Portal immediately.
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