‘Voter address errors long-standing, not linked to SIR’

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission on Friday responded to questions raised by the Samajwadi Party over alleged errors in the voter list, saying that incorrect or identical house numbers in electoral rolls are a common and long-standing issue and not the result of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

In a post on X, the Commission said that cases where unrelated voters are shown with the same house number in the electoral roll exist across many polling stations and Assembly constituencies. It clarified that this “unsatisfactory situation” did not arise due to the SIR, as no voter details were modified during the enumeration phase of the revision exercise. The Commission said such discrepancies have existed for decades.

Explaining the reasons, the Commission said that in many villages houses do not have formal numbers, while in urban areas several houses also lack standard numbering. As a result, notional numbers are often entered in voter lists. In cities, it is common to see “0” or “00” recorded in place of house numbers. Municipalities also maintain ward-wise registers in which notional house numbers are allotted for tax purposes, which sometimes leads to duplication in electoral rolls.