Kerala Gears Up for Voter Enrollment Drive After Special Revision

After completing the house-to-house enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll on December 18, election authorities in Kerala are now preparing for a targeted drive to register new voters. This initiative follows the release of the draft electoral rolls on Tuesday.
Rathan U. Kelkar, the Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala, announced that the special enrollment campaign will focus on individuals who have turned 18 and eligible voters who are not yet on the rolls. The goal is to maximize inclusion before the upcoming electoral activities.
Kelkar revealed that election officials have received 2.92 lakh applications for fresh voter enrollment using Form 6. Additionally, 15,157 applications have been submitted by overseas electors under Form 6A. These applications will undergo verification and processing after the draft rolls’ publication.
During the enumeration phase, digitization of enumeration forms was completed by 10 a.m. on December 18, achieving a significant operational milestone in the revision process. However, a considerable number of entries have been identified as uncollectable under categories like Absent, Shifted, and Dead (ASD).
The total count of uncollectable forms is 24.81 lakh, representing about 8.91% of the current electorate. This figure includes deceased voters, untraceable voters, shifted voters, duplicate entries, and others. The ASD list has been uploaded to the CEO’s website in response to requests from political parties.
An updated version of the list, with corrections and names of traced voters, will be released alongside the draft SIR rolls on December 23. Booth-level agents of political parties have also received the list to aid in locating missing voters.
From Tuesday until January 22, 2026, claims and objections to the draft electoral rolls can be submitted, with the notice and hearing process continuing until February 14. The final electoral rolls are set to be published on February 21.
Kelkar emphasized that according to election regulations, additions and deletions can be made until the final date for filing nominations for the 2026 Assembly elections. Voters whose names are excluded have recourse through an appeal process before the District Election Officer and subsequently the Chief Electoral Officer.