ElectoralRoll – Andhra Pradesh Releases Draft Voter List After Extensive Electoral Revision
ElectoralRoll –The Election Commission of India has released the draft electoral roll for Andhra Pradesh after completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), resulting in the removal of nearly 45 lakh names from the state’s voter list. The revision exercise, carried out between June 15 and July 24, was aimed at improving the accuracy of the electoral database ahead of future elections. Election officials stated that the updated draft reflects changes based on field verification and information submitted by eligible voters.
Large Number of Entries Removed After Verification
According to Chief Electoral Officer Vivek Yadav, a significant share of the deleted names belonged to voters who had either permanently relocated or could not be traced during verification. Around 22.30 lakh entries were removed under this category. Another 15.22 lakh names were deleted after authorities confirmed that the individuals had passed away. In addition, approximately 7.37 lakh duplicate registrations were identified, with such voters set to remain enrolled at only one valid location in accordance with election rules.
Strong Participation During Enumeration Drive
The CEO said that enumeration forms were successfully collected from 3,71,38,182 electors, representing 89.22 percent of the state’s total electorate of 4,16,27,694 as of July 24. Election officials described the response as encouraging, highlighting widespread participation by voters throughout the verification campaign.
However, around 44.89 lakh electors could not be verified during the exercise. Officials explained that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) either could not locate these individuals or did not receive their completed enumeration forms. In several cases, voters had already registered in another state or Union Territory, while others were unavailable, no longer residing at the recorded address, or chose not to submit the required forms before the July 24 deadline.
Opportunity Available for Genuine Voters
The Election Commission has clarified that eligible citizens whose names do not appear in the draft list still have an opportunity to restore their voter registration. The claims and objections process began on July 31 and will continue until August 30.
Individuals seeking inclusion in the electoral roll can submit Form-6 along with the prescribed declaration. Election authorities have assured that all valid applications will be examined before the preparation of the final voter list. Officials also confirmed that duplicate registrations will be retained only at a single eligible location after verification.
Draft Rolls Displayed Across the State
The draft electoral roll has been published for all 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh by the respective Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). To ensure transparency, booth-wise lists containing details of deleted entries have been displayed at ERO and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer offices, Gram Panchayat offices, municipal offices, and polling stations.
The lists mention likely reasons for exclusion, including death, change of residence, prolonged absence, or duplicate registration. The same information has also been uploaded to the websites of the Chief Electoral Officer and the respective District Election Officers, allowing voters to verify their status online.
Final Electoral Roll Scheduled for October
Election authorities have announced that claims and objections received during the designated period will be reviewed between July 31 and September 28. After completing the verification and disposal process, the final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on October 3.
The Chief Electoral Officer credited the successful completion of the enumeration phase to the coordinated efforts of election officials across the state. The exercise involved 28 District Election Officers, 175 Electoral Registration Officers, 1,079 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, 4,650 BLO Supervisors, and 46,397 Booth Level Officers working across an equal number of polling stations.
Recognised political parties also took part in the revision through their Booth Level Agents (BLAs). Their strength increased from 68,868 at the beginning of the Special Intensive Revision to 1,27,868 by the end of the exercise, reflecting broader participation in the electoral verification process.