Jharkhand draft electoral rolls: 43.6 lakh names removed, most shifted or untraceable

The State Election Commission of Jharkhand published the draft electoral rolls on Wednesday (August 5, 2026), revealing that over 43.6 lakh names—approximately 16.5% of the total electorate—have been removed during the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The deletions account for electors categorised as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicate (ASDD).

Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar told journalists in Ranchi that of the 43,61,987 names removed, over 7 lakh were of deceased persons, over 14 lakh were untraceable, and more than 15 lakh had permanently shifted away from the State. Additionally, 1.16 lakh voters did not sign their enumeration forms or return them to Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

Mr. Kumar emphasised that the process is not a permanent exclusion. Eligible electors whose names appeared in the 2026 electoral roll but who failed to submit the enumeration form can still be included during the claims and objections phase, which runs from August 5 to September 4. They must submit Form-6 along with the required declaration form.

He explained that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is implementing the SIR with a clearly defined objective: to ensure inclusion of all eligible citizens and exclusion of all ineligible electors, with full transparency at every stage. As of July 29, out of 2,64,63,236 electors, 2,21,01,249 (83.51%) had submitted their enumeration forms, reflecting significant participation in the enumeration phase.

The successful completion of the door-to-door enumeration was credited to a coordinated effort involving 24 District Electoral Officers (DEOs), 81 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 365 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), 63 Additional AEROs, 2,938 BLOs, and supervisors deployed at 29,571 polling stations, supported by volunteers at each location.

Field representatives of the State's nine recognised political parties also took part, with 77,430 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by them. The SIR process began on June 30, with BLOs conducting door-to-door visits to distribute partially filled enumeration forms and verify voter details. This phase continued till July 29.

The revision is part of a routine exercise mandated by the ECI to clean up electoral rolls and ensure accuracy. The removal of names does not automatically disqualify any individual; those who find their names missing can approach the authorities during the claims and objections window. Officials have urged all eligible voters to verify their names and submit the necessary forms if they were missed during the enumeration.

The draft rolls are available for public inspection, and citizens can also check their status online through the official electoral roll portal. The final electoral rolls will be published after the claims and objections phase is completed and all valid applications are processed.

The State Election Commission has assured that adequate arrangements have been made to address grievances and assist voters in the claims and objections process. Political parties and civil society organisations have been encouraged to participate actively to ensure no eligible voter is left out.