Gen Z makes a strong electoral debut as 4.40 lakh seek voter enrolment in Telangana

Hyderabad: Telangana’s electoral rolls are seeing a notable influx of young voters, with 4.40 lakh new applications filed for enrolment during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). A large share of these applications have come from Gen Z citizens, many of whom are becoming eligible to vote for the first time.

The applications have been filed through Form-6, which is used by eligible citizens seeking inclusion in the electoral roll and issuance of a voter identity card.

Young citizens who turn 18 on or before October 1, 2026, have been encouraged to submit Form-6 along with the prescribed declaration.

As part of the ongoing revision exercise, they are also required to provide their parents’ SIR 2002 details and link the information accordingly.

Those who meet the age eligibility and submit their applications by October 1 will be considered for inclusion in the final electoral roll.

However, the Election Commission’s voter registration process remains open throughout the year for citizens who become eligible at different points.

'There is no fixed deadline for registration for young individuals. It is a yearlong process. However, if an individual wants to be included in the final electoral roll, they need to attain the eligibility and apply on or before October 1,’ sources said.

The electoral rolls are updated periodically, while 6,327 overseas Indians have also submitted Form-6A online to seek voter registration.

The SIR exercise has also triggered a significant number of requests concerning existing entries in the electoral roll.

According to Telangana Chief Electoral Office sources, around 32,000 applications have been received from individuals objecting to proposed inclusions or seeking deletion of existing names from the electoral list.

Officials, however, have clarified that filing a Form-7 application does not automatically result in deletion of a voter’s name.

Each objection will be examined and verified before any removal is carried out.

'Such objections will be thoroughly verified before removing them from the list. Mere submission of Form-7 will not lead to voter name deletion,” sources said.

Meanwhile, 3.75 lakh electors have submitted Form-8 applications seeking changes or corrections in their electoral details.

These include requests related to shifting of residence within or outside a constituency, changes in name, gender or age, replacement of EPIC without correction and marking of a PwD elector.

The scale of the SIR exercise is reflected in the larger electoral database as well. Of the 3,38,26,448 electors in Telangana, 2,64,87,213 have submitted their enumeration forms.

Another 73,39,235 voters have been placed under the ASDD category, referring to electors classified as absent, shifted, death or double.

The scrutiny process has also resulted in notices being generated for a substantial number of voters.

Among those who submitted enumeration forms, 92,87,576 voters have received SIR notices under categories involving anomalies such as mismatches in names, spelling errors, discrepancies in age or the absence of mapping with the SIR 2002 list.

The exercise now moves into a crucial claims and objections phase.

Under the revised SIR schedule, citizens can raise claims and file objections against the draft electoral roll until October 7.

The subsequent process of issuing notices and disposing of claims and objections will continue until November 5. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on November 9.

With thousands of new voters seeking enrolment alongside millions of existing electors undergoing verification and correction, the coming weeks will be significant for the final shape of Telangana’s electoral rolls.