For Rayyan Monkey, a transgender voter from Mumbai, the SIR does not just threaten her right to vote. It also risks her ability to travel freely and exist as a woman in the country. Raised abroad before moving to Mumbai, Rayyan was left unmapped on the voter lists because her parents did not vote in 2002. The only way for her to complete her progeny mapping is to provide either her grandfather’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) card or her father’s birth certificate. However, after coming out to her family, Rayyan has been estranged from her extended relatives. Her father’s documents, meanwhile, are in an uninhabited apartment in Dubai, beyond her reach.
If Rayyan cannot complete her mapping, she may be permanently removed from the electoral rolls. The problem, however, goes beyond voting. Under the recent Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, Rayyan must appear before a medical panel to be legally recognised as a woman. Moreover, the only official ID showing her gender as ‘female’ (F-marker ID) is her Transgender ID card, a self-identification document that can now be challenged under the new legislation.
Forced out of rolls
“My passport is built from my Voter ID Card and my Transgender ID, which are both now challenged,” Rayyan says. Losing her Voter ID means losing her foundation for maintaining the F-marker ID on her passport, leaving her stuck with an Aadhaar card that still lists her as ‘male’. “I really need my election ID to remain so that I can travel around and just exist,” she adds.
In theory, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a neutral administrative process meant to update and ensure accuracy of electoral rolls. In practice, it does not afford equal treatment to transgender people across the country. For them, the enumeration process remains incomplete due to a lack of permanent address proof, mismatched names across official documents, and no access to details from estranged parents. As a result, transgender voters face a disproportionate risk of permanent disenfranchisement for reasons they cannot control.
Broken ties with natal homes
The biggest challenge they face is having to deal with natal home violence. A trans rights activist based in West Bengal notes that families often claim their transgender children are dead or missing when speaking to Booth Level Officers (BLOs). This misinformation makes it difficult for voters to contact their BLOs and rectify their status. At the same time, obtaining their parents’ Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers and other details is not an option.
“Those who have the right resources can get this information from their home villages or Assembly Constituencies, but not everyone has the same privilege,” the activist explains.
When documents or 2002 electoral details are unavailable, affected individuals can file Form 6 or Form 6B for new voter registration during the Claims and Objections period from August 17th to September 16th. For those living in community homes, where guardians or Gurus can be given as a reference, the progeny mapping can be done to the guardian.
What makes it worse is that many transgender persons do not have their own homes. Temporary addresses make the process of showing proof of residence a hurdle. In Bangalore, certain groups of transgender people live together as a community, making local BLOs aware of where to conduct door-to-door verifications. However, this may not be uniform across cities.
Read more: Promises unfulfilled: How Ayushman Bharat leaves the transgender community behind
Mismatched names on multiple documents
For those who have transitioned and changed their names, these updates are rarely reflected in official records like birth certificates and educational mark sheets.
“It’s important to note that people’s documents don’t get changed together; this happens one by one. There are lots of people who will be in the transition phase,” says Chayanika Shah, a member of the Mumbai Actions Collective, a network supporting LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse individuals, allied organisations, and healthcare professionals across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane.
In such cases, the progeny mapping has to be done with the document that can be linked to the 2002 electoral rolls, irrespective of whether it has the dead name (name before transitioning) or changed name. Applicants wanting to file the enumeration form with their updated name, must inform the BLO. If the BLO is unable to assist, the applicant can approach the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), who holds discretionary authority to resolve the discrepancy.
Validity of the TG Card
Since the Transgender Persons Amendment Act was passed in March this year, a major source of concern is whether the Transgender (TG) Identity Card can be used as a valid document. Although the card is no longer issued, existing holders face uncertainty because the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not mentioned the TG card in the list of 12 approved documents.
“By saying that these are the only documents, it is not easy for transgender people to change all of their documentation,” says Bengaluru-based activist Christy Raj.
While the Transgender Certificate cannot serve as a valid standalone document, individuals can submit it with other identity proofs to establish their identity and link themselves to their parents’ 2002 electoral records.
Steps to take going forward
Despite these obstacles, Adwait and Chayanika from the Mumbai Actions Collective urge people to fill their enumeration forms with whatever details that they can. Because without this form, people will face the risk of being removed from the electoral rolls permanently, something that has already happened to many transgender voters across the country.
If a transgender person at least has their own documents to submit, they can appeal to the ERO, who has discretionary authority to approve or disapprove a person’s application. Even if the ERO disapproves, there is an appellate mechanism in place where one can appeal to the District Electoral Officer and eventually the Chief Electoral Officer. If any of these officers believe that the documents a person possesses are valid enough, given their circumstances, there is a good chance that they can be retained in the electoral rolls.
How can the process be made easier?
Christy Raj advocates for dedicated SIR camps where individuals can complete their forms in a supportive community setting alongside BLOs. He also outlines three key demands for the ECI:
- Recognise the TG Card: Allow existing TG cards as valid identification during the Claims and Objections period.
- Permit self-declaration: Allow self-identified individuals who can no longer apply for a TG card to use an affidavit or written self-declaration as proof of identity. “There will be data on those who have applied for the card; the authorities can use that as verifiable information. If there are people who self-declare, you can make them write a letter at that moment,” Christy suggests, noting that such a statement could serve as sufficient proof.
- Promote awareness: Encourage discussions about the SIR process now, ensuring that filing Form 6 (new registration) and Form 8 (corrections to existing entries) during the claims period goes smoothly.
“The government needs to acknowledge that the SIR process is not the same for individuals who have access to the internet and documents as it is for transgender individuals who have been displaced from their homes and don’t have any documents,” says the West Bengal activist. “There need to be more safety measures and policies in place before an initiative of such scale is conducted.”
Voting is more than casting a ballot. It is the right to be recognised as a full and equal citizen by the State. That’s why its important to have an accurate and compassionate electoral revision that acknowledges marginalised citizens.
Transgender voters can reach out to these contacts for help:
- Their respective BLOs and EROs
- Mumbai Actions Collective at mumbaiactionscollective@gmail.com
- MyVoteMyRight (Karnataka): 9686507680
- Polity Action Lab (Delhi, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Meghalaya and Maharashtra): 9874583889
- Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) SIR helpline (Pan India): 9953092298, 9568612393, 9220135155