Karnataka SIR: 2.41 lakh voters cleared from ASDDO category after verification

Karnataka’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has cleared 2.4 lakh voters from the ASDDO category following verification, Chief Electoral Office r V Anbukkumar said on Wednesday. The exercise is aimed at ensuring greater accuracy and transparency in the state’s electoral rolls.

The Election Commission has extended the house-to-house enumeration exercise, which began on June 30, until August 17, giving voters additional time to correct discrepancies and establish their eligibility.

According to Anbukkumar, 4,45,57,010 voters, or 80.38 per cent of the 5.54 crore voters on the electoral roll frozen on June 16, have returned their enumeration forms. Their names are expected to appear in the draft electoral roll.

The remaining 1,08,75,304 voters, or 19.62 per cent, were placed in the ASDDO category — Absent, Permanently Shifted, Dead, Duplicate or Other.

The CEO said the ASDDO list has fallen from about 111.16 lakh names on August 5 to 108.75 lakh, with 2,41,082 voters benefiting from the verification exercise. Among them, 80,492 people who had earlier refused to sign their enumeration forms subsequently signed and returned them.

The ASDDO list was published on August 3 and shared with recognised political parties for verification. The next update is scheduled for August 15 evening, before the SIR process concludes on August 17.

Anbukkumar clarified that “absent” and “permanently shifted” classifications only indicate that a voter was not residing at the address recorded in the roll on June 16. Eligible voters who have moved and are not enrolled elsewhere can apply from their new address through Form 6.

Since the SIR began, Karnataka has received 12.94 lakh applications across Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8. Mapping of voters has reached about 92 per cent statewide, while rural mapping stands at 94.8 per cent.

Karnataka will also add 1,848 polling stations to its existing 59,050, following the EC’s direction that no station should have more than 1,200 voters.

Voters can report discrepancies until August 17, after which Booth Level Officers and Electoral Registration Officers will take action based on eligibility and information.