As many as 2.73 crore Gen Z voters in the 18 to 28 age group have been added to electoral rolls since the Election Commission began its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in 2025, according to Election Commission officials.
The figure comes amid reports that the enrolment of young voters had effectively been put on hold because the annual Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls had not been conducted.
The Election Commission has also maintained that electoral rolls are continuously updated after their final publication, allowing eligible citizens to register without waiting for another revision exercise. The poll body officials, however, disputed that characterisation, pointing to the continuous updation of electoral rolls, under which eligible citizens can apply for inclusion even outside an annual revision. The enrolment exercise has unfolded alongside multiple elections. This year, Assembly elections were held in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, with electoral rolls revised ahead of the polls. The poll body’s position is that SIR, SSR and continuous updation are separate processes.
Because the annual Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls had not been conducted, the figure comes amid reports that the enrolment of young voters had effectively been put on hold. The 2.73 crore figure covers voters between the ages of 18 and 28, including first-time voters as well as young electors who were already eligible to vote but were subsequently added to or updated on the electoral rolls. Form 6 is the prescribed application for registration as a new voter. Bihar went to the polls in November 2025 after the SIR exercise in the state, with the final electoral roll containing over 7.45 crore electors. The 2.73 crore additions in the 18-28 age group, officials said, show that enrolment of young voters continued during the SIR period.
