Maharashtra SEC Seeks Supplementary Voter List by October 15 to Ensure Accuracy Before Local Body Polls

Mumbai, 30th October 2025: The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has directed officials to prepare a supplementary voter list by October 15, aiming to include eligible voters who were left out of the electoral rolls finalized on July 1, 2025, sources confirmed on Wednesday.

The move comes amid growing concerns that the existing rolls may exclude a significant number of new voters, given the long gap between the cutoff date and the yet-to-be-announced local body elections.
A senior SEC official clarified that the inclusion of a supplementary list would not affect the election schedule, which must conclude by January 31, 2026, as per the Supreme Court’s deadline.

“Ward boundaries and reservations were finalized based on the July 1 list and the 2011 Census data. The process will not need to be redone even after incorporating the supplementary voters,” the official said.

In a circular sent to district collectors and divisional commissioners, the SEC has also ordered a thorough verification of duplicate entries in the electoral rolls. Officials have been told to confirm whether voters with identical names are indeed separate individuals.

“If two entries belong to the same person, they must be contacted and asked to choose the ward they wish to vote in,” the SEC directive stated. “In the remaining wards, their names will be marked as duplicates, and they will not be permitted to cast their vote.”

If officials fail to contact the voter, their name will be listed as “duplicate,” and they will only be allowed to vote after submitting an affidavit confirming they have not voted elsewhere. Their identity will then be verified before granting voting rights.

The SEC is currently using digital software to identify duplicate or overlapping entries across multiple wards, officials added.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have criticised the existing voter rolls, alleging large-scale discrepancies and demanding that the local body polls be postponed until the errors are rectified. They have announced plans to hold a protest march on November 1 to press their demand.

The SEC, however, maintains that its verification measures will ensure both accuracy and timely conduct of the elections across Maharashtra.