Karnataka's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has entered its final and most crucial stage, with nearly 86.64 lakh voters identified under the ASDDO category during the house-to-house verification of Booth Level Officers (BLOs). So many lakhs of voters, if they do not pass the verification process, could lose their names from the electoral rolls.
According to the latest revision, the state has around 5.54 crore registered voters spread across 59,050 polling stations. In the verification drive, 86,64,501 voters (15.63%) are in the ASDDO category.
What does ASDDO mean?
ASDDO refers to voters who fall under one of the following categories:
- A - Absent: Voters not found at the registered address in the verification.
- S - Shifted: People who have permanently moved to another place.
- D - Dead: Voters found dead by official records or local verification.
- D - Duplicate: Voters whose names appear in more than one electoral roll.
- O - Objected: People who have raised objections and the verification has not been completed.
The classification is part of the standard electoral roll purification process to maintain a reliable and updated voter database, election officials said.
Around 20 lakh names may be deleted
In total, officials say nearly 20 lakh names, mostly those of deceased and duplicate voters, are likely to be removed permanently from the electoral rolls after verification.
But the remaining 66 lakh voters (most of whom are absent or shifted) still have a chance to protect their voting rights by responding to the verification process and getting their details updated before the final electoral roll is prepared.
The Special Intensive Revision started on June 30 and ends on August 8. The draft electoral roll is expected to be published on August 17, and eligible voters will have the opportunity to submit claims and objections based on the Election Commission's prescribed process.
Category-wise ASDDO Figures
The survey has identified the following categories:
- Shifted voters: 53.39 lakh (9.63%).
- Deceased voters: 15.14 lakh (2.73%).
- Absent voters: 11.92 lakh (2.15%).
- Duplicate voters: 5.74 lakh (1.04%).
- Refused to sign verification forms: 42,725 (0.08%).
Election officials have stressed that inclusion in the ASDDO category does not always mean deletion. Many voters can still be on the electoral roll after all the verification and documentation is complete.
Bengaluru reports the highest number
Among all districts, Bengaluru has the highest number of ASDDO voters, with nearly 40.39 lakh identified across 28 Assembly constituencies.
Bengaluru has around 1.03 crore registered voters. The verification forms submitted by 48.67 lakh voters are being digitised, and the forms submitted by another 14.81 lakh voters are still waiting to be digitised.
Apart from Bengaluru, districts with the highest numbers of ASDDO voters are:
Mysuru: 4.31 lakh
Kalaburagi: 3.86 lakh
Belagavi: 3.65 lakh
Vijayapura: 2.27 lakh
Dharwad: 2.18 lakh
Raichur: 2.16 lakh
Verification Is Crucial
Election authorities warned citizens whose names fall under the ASDDO category to cooperate with BLOs and complete the verification process within the specified time frame. Residents who have moved or have changed their residence, corrected personal details, or were not available during the survey should submit the required documents to avoid any complications.
When the draft electoral roll is released early in the next few weeks, lakhs of voters will be impacted in Karnataka. To be sure, details in personal information and response to verification notices will be important to ensure they can vote when they are eligible in future elections.
