Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 | Voters blame ‘flawed’ SIR for missing names in electoral rolls

The voters alleged that their names were missing despite them submitting forms during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in the state between November 2025 and February 2026.

Chennai: Senthil Kumar and his two daughters flew all the way from Singapore to cast their votes in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, but were dejected to find their names missing from the electoral rolls.

They alleged that their names were missing despite their submitting forms during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in the state between November 2025 and February 2026. 

“I came from Singapore only to vote, and I could not,” said Kumar, a voter in the Perambur Assembly segment — where TVK chief C Joseph Vijay is contesting — on Thursday.

His daughters said they expected to “vote for change”, but were frustrated to find their names missing from the voter list. 

“My wife, who lives here, submitted all the required forms, but our names are missing. We booked tickets last month and spent money only to come and vote,” said Kumar. One of his daughters ruefully said: “Maybe next time.” 

This family was not alone. Several people across the state in general — and Chennai in particular — complained that their names were missing from the electoral rolls despite being mentioned in the final list after the completion of the SIR. 

“My name was on the list when I checked in February. However, when I came to the polling station today, they said I couldn't vote because my name was missing. It is so frustrating,” said a resident of Chennai's Virugambakkam locality.

Krithika Sivaswamy, another resident of Chennai, wrote on X that her name appeared in the draft rolls, but she discovered at the polling booth on Thursday that it had been deleted from the final list. 

“My parents’ names were intact, and they were able to vote. This reflects a deeply flawed and poorly managed process," she said.

"While political parties may trade blame, the ultimate responsibility lies with the Election Commission of India to ensure a transparent, accountable, and user-friendly system,” she added.