Naveen Patnaik Discusses Voter Registration Updates in Odisha

Discussion on Voter Registration

On Monday, Naveen Patnaik, the president of the BJD and former Chief Minister of Odisha, convened a meeting at his residence with senior party leaders to deliberate on the 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) and organizational matters. As of July 6, the draft voter list in Odisha has seen the removal of approximately 832,000 deceased voters, 1,007,000 voters who have relocated or are consistently absent, and 158,000 duplicate registrations. According to Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sushant Kumar Mishra, around 14,000 voters could not be included due to missing enumeration forms. Mishra explained that the first category consists of individuals who have passed away, leading to the removal of their names from the list. The second category includes voters who have either moved away or are perpetually absent. Additionally, there are about 158,000 voters registered in multiple locations.

Mishra further noted that for approximately 14,000 voters, enumeration forms were not returned, which is why they could not be included in the draft list.

Claim and Objection Period

Eligible voters have until August 4 to submit claims and objections, with hearings on these applications expected to conclude by September 2. Mishra stated that individuals have an additional month to present their claims and objections, and the hearings will be finalized by September 2. Voters have a two-month window to provide information, submit applications, and raise any claims or objections they may have. The deadline for raising claims and objections is set for August 4.

Final Voter List Release

The draft voter list was published on July 5, 2026. State officials assert that this initiative is part of a transparent and inclusive effort to maintain an updated voter database. After thorough verification of all claims and objections, the final voter list for Odisha is scheduled to be released on September 6.