Delhi Draft Electoral Roll Excludes 47.7 Lakh Voters; Claims Open from Aug 24

The special intensive revision (SIR) of Delhi's electoral rolls concluded its enumeration phase on Monday, with election officials digitising 97.4 lakh forms out of the 1.45 crore forms distributed to voters. This means nearly 67% of the forms have been processed, and the names of these voters will be reflected in the draft electoral roll scheduled for publication on August 24.

The remaining 47.7 lakh voters, whose forms could not be collected or processed, have been placed under the categories of Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO). Their names will not appear in the draft roll, and they risk being excluded from the final electoral roll, which is expected to be published on October 27.

The SIR is a routine exercise conducted by the Election Commission to update electoral rolls and ensure they reflect the current population. This includes adding new voters, removing duplicates, and correcting details. In Delhi, the enumeration process faced delays, leading to the deadline being extended twice in July after the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashok Kumar requested extra time, citing the slow progress of the enumeration work.

A senior official said that booth-level officers were no longer able to modify data through the BLO app after midnight on Monday, marking the end of the enumeration phase. The official also acknowledged that the high number of missing voters was not unexpected, given the large migrant population in the national capital. "We were expecting 20-30% deletion. The majority of the voters whose filled forms were not returned to the BLOs are marked as shifted," the official said.

Voters who find themselves excluded from the draft roll will have a chance to rectify this. A separate list of individuals under the ASDDO categories is likely to be published. They can file claims and objections during the period from August 24 to September 23. The draft roll publication will take place on August 24, and the claims and objections phase will commence the same day.

For voters whose forms have been collected but contain discrepancies, verification will be required. Around 33 lakh voters, or 34% of those who returned forms, will need to provide one of 12 documents specified by the Election Commission. This includes 13 lakh voters who could not map themselves or their relatives to the previous SIR roll, and over 19 lakh voters who have been flagged for anomalies.

The verification process is intended to resolve discrepancies before the final roll is published. In cases where voters do not possess the required documents, such as the homeless, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) has the authority to decide on their eligibility. This ensures that lack of documentation does not automatically disqualify an otherwise eligible voter.

When it comes to anomalies, the CEO's office has not yet released an official list. However, a source indicated that four main types of discrepancies have been identified: multiple children linked to the same parent; an age gap of less than 15 years between parent and child; mismatched names across different electoral rolls; and differences in surnames. An AI-based system is being used to detect these logical inconsistencies. The highest concentration of anomalies was found in north-east Delhi, where 3 lakh forms, or 70% of those received, were flagged.

With the draft roll soon to be published, voters are encouraged to check their names and filing particulars. Any claims or objections must be submitted by September 23. This step is crucial for ensuring that the final electoral roll, due on October 27, accurately represents all eligible electors in Delhi.