The Goa Chief Electoral Officer’s office has clarified the controversy over 97 eligible voters who were not included in the final electoral roll published in February 2026 following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).The CEO’s office said on Thursday that the 97 cases were separately processed through house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for completion of Form 6. Many of the voters have since been enrolled, while the remaining cases are being processed.The clarification came after reports raised questions about how voters who were found eligible by Electoral Registration Officers were still missing from the final Goa Voter List.Key Highlights97 eligible voters were left out of the final electoral roll published in February 2026.The cases were initially flagged during the Special Intensive Revision.EROs and AEROs later found the voters eligible after reviewing their documents.Goa CEO said many of the 97 voters have since been enrolled.Remaining cases are being processed through Form 6.Booth Level Officers were asked to conduct house-to-house visits.The Election Commission has said the ECINet system did not have a rollback option after a deletion through Form 7.What Happened to the 97 Voters?The 97 voters were initially flagged during the SIR exercise because of what officials described as “logical discrepancies” in the electoral database.After the affected voters were given an opportunity to submit documents and present their cases, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) found the 97 cases eligible for inclusion.However, their names were not included in the final electoral roll published on February 21, 2026.The issue subsequently became part of the wider Goa Voter Row surrounding the functioning of the electoral-roll system during the SIR.Goa CEO Office Says Many Voters Have Been EnrolledThe Goa CEO office said the 97 cases were handled separately after the final roll was published.According to the clarification, Booth Level Officers visited the voters’ addresses to complete Form 6, which is used to apply for inclusion of a name in the electoral roll.The office said many of the voters have now been enrolled, while the remaining cases are being processed. It also reiterated that no eligible elector would be left behind.What Is the Special Intensive Revision?The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is an exercise undertaken to review and update electoral rolls.During the Goa SIR, voters could be flagged for discrepancies and were given opportunities to provide documents and raise objections. The process involved Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant EROs and Booth Level Officers.The final Goa electoral roll was published in February 2026 after the completion of the revision exercise.ECINet Software ControversyThe Goa Voter List issue also brought attention to ECINet, the Election Commission’s electoral-roll software.According to the Election Commission's explanation reported by India Today, ECINet did not have a rollback provision to reverse a deletion after Form 7 was used to remove a voter’s name.Reports said the Goa CEO’s office had sought a rollback facility before the final electoral roll was published. The facility was not enabled before the deadline.The Election Commission's explanation and the Goa CEO office's subsequent clarification are now part of the discussion surrounding the 97 voters.What Are Form 6 and Form 7?Form 6 is used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion of their name in the electoral roll.Form 7 is used for raising objections to an entry or seeking deletion of a name from an electoral roll under the applicable election rules.In the Goa case, the issue arose after voters initially flagged during the SIR were subsequently found eligible, but their names were not restored to the final roll before publication.What Happens Next?The Goa CEO office has said the remaining cases among the 97 voters are being processed.BLOs are undertaking house-to-house verification and completing the required Form 6 documentation for cases that remain pending. The CEO office has said the eligible voters will be added to the electoral roll through this process.The episode has also renewed attention on the use of digital systems such as ECINet in managing electoral rolls and the procedures available to officials when a voter’s status needs to be corrected.
