A noticeable gap exists in the number of women voters compared to their male counterparts (Representative image)
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.
2026, UP had 13.47 crore registered voters, comprising 7.34 crore men, 6.13 crore women and 4,082 third-gender electors, according to Election Commission data as of October 7. 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. Against a projected population of 84.47 lakh in the 18-19 age group, only 19.62 lakh were registered as of October 7.
However, this difference does not necessarily represent eligible but unregistered voters. The figures also highlight a substantial gap among first-time voters. 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. 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. 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.