The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered an investigation into allegations that foreign nationals illegally voted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections held on April 23, 2026. Reports indicate that around 25 foreign nationals, including individuals from Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and Canada, were arrested or detained for allegedly casting fraudulent votes. The ECI has requested detailed reports from returning officers in two cities and five districts to understand how these foreign names appeared on the electoral rolls despite the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which aimed to remove deceased, duplicate, and non-citizen voters from the rolls. Law enforcement agencies are analyzing data on foreign arrivals to ascertain if any of these individuals voted before leaving the country. Legal actions have been initiated against those arrested under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Officials suspect that the provision allowing an adult family member to sign on behalf of an absent voter may have been exploited, leading to the inclusion of foreign nationals in the electoral process. The ECI will ultimately determine the status and impact of these fraudulent votes on the election results.