Thiruvananthapuram: The draft electoral roll of Kerala, prepared after a door-to-door enumeration under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, was published on Tuesday, resulting in the removal of more than 24 lakh names from the voters’ list. According to official figures, 24,08,503 electors have been excluded for various reasons, while the verification and mapping of nearly 19 lakh voters from the 2002 electoral roll is still underway.
Following the revision, the total number of voters in the state has declined significantly from 2,78,50,855 to 2,54,42,352. The revised draft list comprises 1,23,83,341 male voters, 1,30,58,731 female voters and 280 voters identifying as third gender.
Officials said that among those removed from the rolls, around 1,60,830 individuals either failed to submit the filled enumeration forms or refused to accept them, while 6,45,548 persons could not be traced during the verification exercise. The list of deletions also includes 6,49,885 deceased voters, 8,16,221 people who have shifted their residence, and 1,36,029 cases of duplicate entries. Overall, the eliminations account for nearly 8.65 per cent of the earlier voters’ list.
Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U. Kelkar clarified that all electors who submitted their completed enumeration forms have been included in the draft roll. He added that the process of mapping the current list with the 2002 voters’ database is progressing steadily, with about 93 per cent of the work completed as of December 18.
“The mapping of the remaining around 19 lakh voters is continuing. Those who cannot be mapped will be issued notices and asked to produce supporting documents as prescribed by the Election Commission of India,” Kelkar said. He also noted that any specific cases of genuine voters being left out, if brought to the notice of authorities by political parties or individuals, would be examined.
The Election Commission has invited objections and claims regarding the draft electoral roll, which can be submitted until January 22, 2026. Hearings on these objections will be conducted until February 14, after which provisions for filing appeals will also be available. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on February 21, followed by a special drive to enroll new voters.
Kelkar further revealed that the Election Commission of India has informed the state government that the SIR enumeration process in Kerala had already been extended earlier and that no further extension would be granted. The state government had formally sought more time for the enumeration, citing the large number of voters being removed from the rolls.