Karnataka SIR: 1.08 Crore Names Missing From Draft Rolls, What Voters Can Do

The draft electoral rolls for Karnataka were published on Monday as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list, with citizens now entering a month-long claims and objections process.

Around 4.46 crore voters are expected to feature in the draft rolls, while about 1.08 crore names from the existing electoral list have been placed in the Absent, Shifted, Duplicate, Dead and Others (ASDDO) category following the 49-day door-to-door enumeration exercise that ended on August 17.

Citizens can check the draft rolls through the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka. However, technical problems reportedly disrupted access to the rolls after publication, with heavy traffic causing website crashes and users encountering issues with PDFs and downloads.

Claims And Objections

Following publication of the draft rolls, citizens can check their details and file claims or objections between August 24 and September 23.

Those whose names have been excluded can seek inclusion by submitting Form 6. Overseas voters can use Form 6A.

Form 7 can be used to seek deletion of a name, including in cases involving deceased or permanently relocated voters. Form 8 is meant for shifting residence, correcting entries, replacing an EPIC or marking a person as having a disability.

The Election Commission has also listed indicative documents that may be submitted with the forms. These include birth certificates, passports, matriculation or educational certificates, permanent residence certificates, caste certificates, government-issued identity documents, land or house allotment certificates and family registers, among others.

Aadhaar can also be submitted, subject to the Election Commission's directions issued on September 9, 2025.

Notice And Hearing Process

The notice and hearing phase will run from August 24 to October 22. After claims and objections are filed, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will issue public notices regarding the forms received. They will then verify documents, conduct hearings and take decisions on the claims and objections.

Authorities have mandated physical attendance for voters who receive discrepancy notices. Officials are serving 43.80 lakh notices across Karnataka to people with logical discrepancies or unmapped records from the 2002 electoral rolls.

Bengaluru accounts for 24.05 lakh of these notices. Booth-level officers will deliver the notices house-to-house, with a maximum of two attempts. Hearings will subsequently be held at designated government premises, which may include a police station, gram panchayat office or the government building closest to the polling station.

Even if documents are submitted online using the QR code on the notice, voters must appear personally for the hearing. Family members or neighbours can receive a notice if the voter is unavailable, but only the concerned voter can attend the hearing.

One rescheduling opportunity will be allowed if a voter misses the original appointment.

What If A Claim Is Rejected?

Citizens have a right to appeal if their name or claim is rejected following the ERO's decision.

The first appeal can be filed before the District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner within 15 days of the ERO's final order.

A second appeal can then be filed before the Chief Electoral Officer within 30 days of the first appeal order.

When Will The Final Rolls Be Published?

After the claims, objections, hearings and appeals are completed, the final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on October 27, 2026.

The process therefore does not end with the publication of the draft rolls. For voters whose names are missing or whose records have been flagged, the claims and objections period provides an opportunity to seek correction or inclusion before the final electoral rolls are published.