Meghalaya has recorded a sharp rise in the number of voters over the past two decades, an official said on Tuesday. A comparative analysis shows that the total number of electors in the state has grown from 13,35,816 in 2005 to 23,06,384 in September 2025, Chief Electoral Officer Dr BDR Tiwari said. His statement came ahead of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) upcoming Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across the country. In Meghalaya, the 2005 electoral roll was published on April 15 of that year with January 1, 2005, as the qualifying date. Dr Tiwari said the number of male voters rose from 6,64,306 to 11,37,316, while female voters increased from 6,71,510 to 11,69,062.
Six electors have registered under the third gender category in the latest roll. He said Meghalaya has already begun preparatory work for the SIR, which follows a one-day conference of Chief Electoral Officers convened by the ECI last month to review the process across states. All states were directed to conduct preliminary mapping of current electoral rolls against the 2005 intensive revision list. The CEO added that the 2005 electoral roll and a search facility for individual electors are available on the official website of CEO Meghalaya. During the SIR, voters will be required to furnish documents such as identity proof, birth or educational certificates, and residence or caste certificates.
The Aadhaar card, he clarified, can be used as a supporting document for identity verification but not as proof of citizenship, in accordance with a Supreme Court order. To improve accessibility and ensure smooth polling, the Election Commission has rationalised polling stations with more than 1,200 electors. A total of 49 new polling stations have been approved, while 12 have been merged, bringing the total number in Meghalaya to 3,615 — a net increase of 64. Among districts, East Khasi Hills has the highest number of polling stations at 1,030, followed by West Garo Hills with 570 and Ri-Bhoi with 338, Dr Tiwari informed.