By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: More than 21,900 electors in Sikkim could be excluded from the state’s voter list if their details are not verified before the completion of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Raj Yadav said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference, Yadav said the revision exercise has entered its final stage, with election officials racing against time to verify thousands of pending Enumeration Forms (EFs) before the June 28 deadline.
According to data released by the Election Department, 99.68 per cent of Enumeration Forms have already been distributed across the state. However, only 84.14 per cent of the forms have so far been digitised and verified by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), leaving 21,928 electors yet to be accounted for.
Officials said a majority of the pending cases involve voters who have either passed away, permanently relocated, remain untraceable, are frequently absent from their registered addresses, or are suspected of being enrolled in electoral rolls elsewhere. The department cautioned that the number of names proposed for deletion could rise further as the verification process continues.
Several urban constituencies have emerged as areas of concern due to comparatively low verification rates. These include Arithang, Gangtok, Khamdong-Singtam, Namchi-Singhithang and West Pendam, where a significant number of forms remain pending.
Describing the situation as a matter requiring urgent attention, Yadav said election officials have intensified efforts to reach voters through door-to-door visits, telephone calls and coordination with Panchayati Raj institutions and Urban Local Bodies. Despite these efforts, many electors have not yet responded or could not be located.
The CEO appealed to political parties, elected representatives and members of the public to assist election authorities in identifying and contacting voters whose forms remain unverified.
He warned that voters who fail to complete the verification process risk having their names omitted from the Draft Electoral Roll, which is scheduled to be published on July 5.
The Election Department has urged all eligible voters to submit their Enumeration Forms by June 25 to allow sufficient time for verification before the revision exercise concludes.
“Every eligible elector should ensure that their Enumeration Form is submitted and verified within the stipulated timeline. Failure to do so may result in their name not being included in the Draft Electoral Roll,” Yadav said.
The publication of the draft roll on July 5 will reveal the final list of retained voters as well as those proposed for deletion, marking a crucial stage in the electoral revision process ahead of future elections in the state.