SIR Voter Roll Deletions: Why 'Shifted' and 'Absent' Reasons Are Being Applied Erratically

The publication of draft electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has brought renewed attention to the large number of electors whose names have been left out across several states. While election authorities have stressed that the draft roll is not the final list and provides an opportunity for claims and objections, questions have emerged over how reasons for exclusions are being applied.

The issue is particularly significant in Karnataka and Telangana, where an analysis by The Hindu found wide variations in the use of categories such as ‘Shifted’ and ‘Absent’. Similar concerns have surfaced as Delhi published its draft electoral roll, excluding nearly 47 lakh electors whose enumeration forms were not collected or digitised.

The central question is whether the categories used to classify electors are being applied consistently.

Why Are Names Being Left Out Of Draft Rolls?

According to the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's figures, the draft electoral roll contains around 97.5 lakh electors whose enumeration forms were received and digitised during the SIR exercise.

These account for 67.21% of Delhi's 1.45 crore electors. The remaining electors have been placed in the ‘Uncollectable’ category under Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others, or ASDDO.

Their names do not appear in the draft roll, although they can seek inclusion during the claims and objections period.

In Maharashtra, Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam told The Indian Express that 2.07 crore Enumeration Forms could not be collected. Of these, 75.52 lakh were classified as absent or not found, 76.80 lakh as permanently shifted, 34.81 lakh as dead, 17.63 lakh as already enrolled elsewhere or duplicate, and 2.23 lakh under other categories.

Chockalingam stressed that these were stages of an ongoing process and should not automatically be treated as permanent deletions.

Why Are ‘Absent’ And ‘Shifted’ Categories Raising Questions?

An analysis of draft SIR rolls in Karnataka and Telangana by The Hindu found striking variations in the way the two categories were used.

The Election Commission has not publicly provided a clear breakdown of ‘Shifted’ and ‘Absent’ categories in its aggregate figures for SIR deletions, according to the report. The breakdown has instead been derived by journalists and civil society members from lists of deleted electors.

The EC's Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023, defines an absentee voter as someone temporarily absent from their ordinary place of residence. The manual states that temporary absence does not mean that a person ceases to be ordinarily resident there.

This has raised questions about whether electors marked ‘Absent’ during enumeration should be deleted from the roll in the first place.

Variations Across Constituencies

The variations become clearer at the constituency level. In Telangana's Jubilee Hills, 1,48,859 of 1,79,510 deleted names were marked as ‘Shifted’, while only 15,000 were classified as ‘Absent’. In Nizamabad Urban, however, 50,307 of 83,282 deletions were marked as ‘Absent’.

In Nakrekal (SC), 20,169 names were deleted, but not a single elector was marked ‘Absent’.

Karnataka showed similar contrasts. Hebbal recorded 1.3 lakh deletions, with 1.14 lakh marked as ‘Shifted’ and only 287 as ‘Absent’. In Hubli-Dharwad-East, about 25,000 of nearly 47,000 deletions were marked ‘Absent’.

Draft Rolls Are Not The Final Word

Election officials have emphasised that the draft roll remains open to correction.

Chockalingam told The Indian Express that Booth Level Officers were expected to visit electors and, if they were not found, make repeated attempts before categorising a case.

He also acknowledged practical difficulties, particularly in urban areas where many people may not be available during normal working hours. “We are not claiming complete accuracy at this point,” he said, stressing that electors should check the draft rolls themselves.

Those whose names are missing can seek inclusion through Form 6. Form 7 can be used to object to an inclusion, while Form 8 is meant for corrections or modifications.

The SIR process, therefore, remains unfinished at the draft stage. But the sharp differences in how ‘Shifted’ and ‘Absent’ reasons have been recorded across constituencies have placed the focus on whether a uniform standard is being followed before names are left out of electoral rolls.