Delhi records highest deletions, draft roll excludes one in three voters

Delhi has topped the number of voter deletions as per the draft electoral roll published on Monday, 31 August, following a house-to-house voter verification drive as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Of the 1.45 crore registered electors, the draft roll excludes more than 47 lakh voters, or nearly 33 per cent, at the draft stage — the largest among all states and Union Territories where SIR was held.

The draft electoral roll now carries the names of approximately 97.5 lakh voters across Delhi’s 70 Assembly segments. This sweeping exclusion is largely due to voters being classified under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, Others (ASDDO) categories, according to an election official.

“Delhi being the national capital, has a large number of floating population which could be the reason for the high number of deletions,” said an official from the Delhi chief electoral officer’s office. “The deletion process is a necessary exercise to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter list,” the official claimed.

The SIR, carried out between 30 June and 17 August, involved door-to-door verification and digital enumeration forms being collected and processed. While forms for 67.18 per cent of registered voters were successfully digitised, the remaining 32.82 per cent — over 47 lakh electors — were categorised as 'uncollectable' either due to non-response or the inability to verify their eligibility at their registered addresses.

The variation in digitisation rates across Assembly constituencies was notable. Rohini recorded the highest digitisation at 83.43 per cent, while Tughlakabad lagged behind at 52.15 per cent. These discrepancies reflect the challenges of verifying voters in areas with high population turnover and informal housing arrangements.

In absolute numbers Delhi’s deletion figures stand out starkly when compared with other large states:

• Karnataka excluded about 1.07 crore voters from its draft electoral roll out of a total 4.46 crore electors, roughly 24 per cent deletions.

• Andhra Pradesh removed 44.89 lakh voters, nearly 27 per cent of its total electorate.

• Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu recorded a deletion rate of 29.64 per cent.

Despite these large numbers, Delhi now holds the dubious distinction of the highest percentage of deletions in the country, raising concerns about disenfranchisement among its transient residents.

An ECI spokesperson noted, “The Special Intensive Revision process aims to enhance the accuracy of electoral rolls by removing names of those who are no longer eligible to vote at their recorded addresses. This is vital for preventing electoral fraud and ensuring free and fair elections.”

The draft electoral roll has been published, and affected voters can file claims for inclusion using Form 6 along with supporting documents till 30 September. The Election Commission will continue to examine claims and objections through 29 October before publishing the final roll on 4 November.

How can you check your name

• Voters can go to the Delhi CEO and Election Commission's electoral search portal https://electoralsearch.eci.gov.in/

• Voters can search use their EPIC number and search for the name

• Alternatively, voters can enter the mobile number registered with the Election Commission and search

With agency inputs