New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI), acting through the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu, published the final electoral roll for the state on February 23, 2026. This release marks the culmination of the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter rolls, a rigorous exercise initiated in November 2025. According to the final data released by CEO Archana Patnaik, the total electorate in Tamil Nadu now stands at 5,67,07,380 (5.67 crore). This figure reflects a net deletion of nearly 70 lakh names compared to the pre-SIR rolls, signalling a significant correction in the state’s voter database.Demographic composition and revision processThe final roll exhibits a continued demographic trend where female voters outnumber male voters. The electorate comprises 2,89,60,838 women, 2,77,38,925 men, and 7,617 electors registered under the third gender category.The revision process included a specific claims and objections window from December 19, 2025, to January 30, 2026. During this period, the election machinery processed significant volumes of data. A total of 27,85,195 applications (Form 6) were received for new enrolment. Following verification, 27,53,796 new electors were successfully added to the final roll.During the specific claims and objections period, 4,38,425 applications for deletion were received, resulting in the removal of 4,23,172 entries. This contributed to the cumulative total of nearly 70 lakh deletions achieved throughout the entire SIR exercise starting November 2025.CEO Archana Patnaik highlighted that 1.58 crore voters were flagged for “logical discrepancies.” These entries underwent additional scrutiny, and following the submission of necessary documents, valid electors were retained while ineligible ones were removed, the ECI maintains.Regional and district-level statisticsThe data reveals significant variance in voter density across the state. Among the assembly constituencies, Sholinganallur in the Chengalpattu district recorded the highest number of electors at 5,36,991, while Harbour constituency in Chennai recorded the lowest at 1,16,896.The revised roll exhibits distinct variations in voter density across the state’s constituencies. Sholinganallur in the Chengalpattu district remains the largest Assembly constituency with 5,36,991 electors, while the Harbour constituency in Chennai holds the lowest count at 1,16,896. At the district level, Chennai recorded 28,30,936 voters across 16 constituencies, with Perambur (2,22,792) being the most populous. In Coimbatore, the total electorate stands at 26,96,813, reflecting a net growth of 4.75% during the revision period. Madurai district recorded 24,66,954 voters, with Madurai East emerging as its largest constituency with 3,30,993 electors.Further district-level data highlights the scale of the update: Tiruvallur district encompasses 31,57,413 voters, while Erode district’s electorate stands at 17,40,222 following the removal of 3.25 lakh names. In Tiruchi, the total count reached 21,26,303 after 2,42,664 names were excised due to migration, death, and duplication. Southern districts such as Virudhunagar (14,97,417), Thoothukudi (13,76,624), and Ramanathapuram (11,23,029) also saw their voter bases finalised. In the western and central belts, Salem district recorded 27,55,830 voters, while Karur’s electorate was revised to 8,45,164, a reduction of 53,198 from its pre-SIR strength.The magnitude of this clean-up is underscored by the draft electoral rolls released in December 2025, which had initially recorded over 97 lakh deletions. Analysis of the draft data revealed a gender skew in the removal process, with approximately 2.6 lakh more women being deleted than men. More than 49.9 lakh women were initially removed compared to 47.3 lakh men. While the final roll reflects a net deletion of 70 lakh – indicating that millions of voters were added or re-verified during the objections phase – the data confirms that the pre-SIR rolls were heavily burdened with ineligible entries that had accumulated over previous election cycles.Addressing the “ghost” voter anomalyAnalysts have anticipated such a drastic reduction in the voter list especially in states like Tamil Nadu. Retired director general of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation N.K. Sharma, and others, in an analysis argued that prior to the SIR 2025-26, Tamil Nadu exhibited a statistical anomaly in its Elector Recorded Percentage (ERP). As of 2024, the state reported an ERP of 105.3%. This figure implies that the number of registered voters exceeded the estimated adult population of the state, a demographic impossibility that points to the widespread prevalence of duplicate registrations and the non-deletion of deceased voters. The analysts explicitly flagged Tamil Nadu, alongside Telangana and Karnataka, as having “remarkably high” ERPs that required critical reassessment.They also projected that a rigorous SIR process would likely result in a significant decline in ERP. Specifically, for Tamil Nadu, the authors anticipated the coverage might drop from 105.3% to approximately 90.5%, mirroring trends seen in other states undergoing intensive revision. The actual deletion of 70 lakh voters validates this hypothesis, correcting the inflated rolls.Projections and realityTo assess the accuracy of the current 5.67 crore figure, one must look at the underlying population data derived from the Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections for 2011–2036 (published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare). According to Table 18 of the Technical Group’s report, the projected total population of Tamil Nadu as of March 1, 2026, is approximately 7.75 crore. By isolating the age cohorts ineligible to vote (ages 0–17), statistical derivation suggests a specific baseline for the electorate.Summing the 0–14 age groups and calculating the portion of the 15–19 group that remains under 18 reveals an estimated ineligible population of 1.74 crore. Subtracting this from the total projected population leaves an estimated eligible adult population (18+) of approximately 6.02 crore. When comparing the ECI’s final roll of 5.67 crore against this projected eligible population of 6.02 crore, the coverage ratio (ERP) for 2026 stands at approximately 94.2%. This indicates that the SIR has successfully brought the state’s voter registration data into alignment with census-based demographic realities, though it suggests that a gap of roughly 35 lakh potential voters remains between the estimated adult population and the registered electorate.Finally, with the publication of the final electoral roll, the administrative groundwork is now complete for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. While the Election Commission has not yet formally announced the polling schedule, the state is set to go to the polls in April 2026. The CEO has clarified that the continuous updation process is now in effect. Eligible citizens whose names are missing from the final list, as well as those who have recently reached the voting age of 18, may still submit Form 6 applications to ensure their enrollment before the dates for the democratic process are finalised.