Kerala’s electoral landscape has witnessed a major churn following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with over 24 lakh voters excluded from the updated list. Official figures reveal that 24,80,503 voters have been placed in the Absent, Shifted, Dead (ASD) category after the door-to-door verification process.
Among them, a significant 6.45 lakh voters have been marked as ‘untraceable’, indicating that election officials could not locate them during field verification. The remaining names were classified under voters who have either shifted residence or passed away.
The large-scale exclusion has sparked concern across political and civil circles, with fears that eligible voters—particularly migrant workers, students, and those temporarily living away from home—may be left out of the electoral process if timely corrections are not made.
Election authorities have clarified that inclusion in the ASD list does not amount to permanent deletion. Eligible voters can still submit claims and objections within the prescribed period to restore their names in the final electoral roll.
With elections on the horizon, the Election Commission has urged citizens to check the draft voter list without delay and complete the necessary formalities to safeguard their right to vote.
