Karnataka draft electoral rolls on Aug 24; over 1.07 crore names listed for removal

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka, is set to publish the draft electoral rolls on August 24 as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The draft list includes over 1.07 crore voters — roughly 19.48 per cent of the state’s electorate — who have been categorised as Absent, Shifted, Duplicate, Dead and Others (ASDDO) and are proposed for removal. However, this is only a provisional list, and affected voters will have an opportunity to raise objections before the final rolls are released.

The SIR is a comprehensive exercise conducted to update electoral rolls by removing ineligible entries and adding new eligible voters. During the enumeration phase, officials carried out house-to-house verification to identify voters who have died, relocated, or appear multiple times in the roll. Those not found during verification are marked as 'Absent', while those who have moved out of the constituency are marked as 'Shifted'. Voters with more than one entry are labelled 'Duplicate', and entries of deceased persons are categorised as 'Dead'. The 'Others' category covers cases such as errors in names or addresses.

In Bengaluru, which has an electorate of over 1.03 crore, the draft roll records only 56.11 lakh voters. The sharp drop is due to the removal of names under the ASDDO categories. Still, officials emphasise that the draft roll is not the final roll, and voters whose names are missing can file claims for inclusion.

Apart from the ASDDO lists, the CEO’s office has identified more than 20.35 lakh voters with logical discrepancies, such as missing date of birth or mismatched voter IDs. Another 23.45 lakh voters could not be mapped to the 2002 electoral roll. These voters will be issued individual notices, and hearings will be conducted to resolve the discrepancies. The goal is to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded without a fair hearing.

The notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will take place between August 24 and October 22. The final electoral roll is slated for publication on October 27. During this period, voters can file claims or objections using the prescribed forms: Form 6 for inclusion of new voters, Form 6A for overseas electors, Form 7 for deletion, and Form 8 for corrections to name, address, or EPIC details. The last date to submit these forms is September 23.

Voters can check the draft roll online on the CEO Karnataka website or at designated offices, including polling stations and block-level offices. The Election Commission has made available the voter helpline and mobile application for easy access. Citizens are urged to verify their names, as the final roll will determine their ability to vote in upcoming elections.

Political parties and non-governmental organisations have also been asked to assist voters in filing claims and objections, particularly in areas with low awareness. The process is designed to be participatory, and the election authorities have assured that all valid submissions will be addressed before the final publication.

This exercise is part of the ongoing effort to maintain clean and accurate electoral rolls. The draft publication is a key step, and the authorities have underlined that the removal of names from the draft does not automatically mean disenfranchisement. Voters have a clear window to correct errors and ensure their representation in the final voter list.