LUCKNOW: With Uttar Pradesh’s electoral rolls showing 1.21 crore fewer women voters than men, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa on Wednesday directed district election officers to launch a special drive to identify and enrol eligible women ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.According to Election Commission data as of October 7, 2026, UP had 13.47 crore registered voters, comprising 7.34 crore men, 6.13 crore women and 4,082 third-gender electors.Against the state’s projected adult female population of 7.84 crore, only 6.13 crore women were registered, leaving a gap of approximately 1.71 crore. Among men, the corresponding gap was around 99 lakh, based on the projected adult male population of 8.33 crore.Overall, UP’s projected adult population stands at 16.17 crore, against 13.47 crore registered electors, indicating a gap of nearly 2.70 crore. However, this difference does not necessarily represent eligible but unregistered voters.The figures also highlight a substantial gap among first-time voters. Against a projected population of 84.47 lakh in the 18-19 age group, only 19.62 lakh were registered as of October 7.Flagging the unusually low number of women voters compared to men, Rinwa directed officials to involve ASHA workers, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), anganwadi workers and women associated with self-help groups to identify eligible women missing from the electoral rolls.These frontline workers will facilitate their registration through Form 6 during the Special Summary Revision (SSR) 2027, with January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date.In another exercise, assembly electoral rolls will be cross-checked against panchayat and urban local body voter lists to identify eligible citizens who remain unregistered.Government fair-price shops will also help identify eligible residents aged 18 and above whose names appear on ration cards but are missing from the electoral rolls.Educational institutions will activate electoral literacy clubs to identify eligible students, particularly those aged 18-19. Assistant electoral registration officers will coordinate with club representatives to facilitate their registration.The CEO also directed officials to involve NSS, NCC, Nehru Yuva Kendras, Yuvak Mangal Dals and Bharat Scouts and Guides in reaching eligible young voters.
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