Present, but marked ‘absent’ in SIR; many remain clueless about getting names back on rolls

Enumeration data show that several consecutive serial numbers were marked as absent or shifted

Updated - October 22, 2026 04:40 pm IST - Bengaluru

Electors from serial numbers 334 to 343, 472 to 485, 716 to 735, and many others in a similar pattern were all marked absent or shifted. | Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.

“We only recently found out that we had to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls because everyone’s name had been deleted. Our Booth Level Officers (BLOs) told us there was no last date, so we have not filled out Form-6 yet. But many people in the neighbourhood later checked with officials and learnt that there would be another list, the final roll, and that our names could have been included had we filled out Form-6 earlier,” said Sonu, a carpenter who lives in New Timber Yard Layout in Bengaluru.

Sonu was among the 776 electors deleted from polling station Part No. 242. According to the Summary Revision 2025 data, the polling station had 1,419 electors. Of these, 776 were marked for deletion: 389 as shifted, 275 as absent, and 112 as dead or duplicate.

Enumeration data accessed by The Hindu show that several consecutive serial numbers were marked as absent or shifted. For instance, electors from serial numbers 334 to 343, 472 to 485, 716 to 735, and many others in a similar pattern were all marked absent or shifted. However, some of those marked absent said they had been living there, while many of those marked shifted said they had not moved residences either.

Another polling station in New Timber Yard Layout, Part No. 243, showed a similar pattern. The 2025 revision data recorded 1,399 electors, of whom 722 were marked for deletion, mostly as absent or shifted under the SIR.

Most residents in the locality work as labourers, carpenters or daily-wage workers. They said the nature of their work meant that many people were away from home from morning until late afternoon or evening.

Many not served enumeration forms

“BLOs came from time to time, but many of us did not even receive enumeration forms. Some of us received the forms and submitted them, but our names were still deleted,” said Lakshmi, who was marked absent although she said she has been living in the locality for years. Arguing that they had not been served any notice informing them of the deletion of their names, Lakshmi said, “If officials are deleting our names, they should tell us why, inform us, and explain what we need to do next. If we knew how to add our names or even how to check the list, would we still be living here?”

“We thought a new voter ID would be issued. That is how things usually happen. Government representatives come door to door, ask us for the details they need, we submit them, and the work gets done. Should we give up our daily wages and go apply for inclusion when we did not even know our names had been deleted in the first place?” another resident asked.

Residents also feared that the deletion of their names from the electoral rolls could affect their access to other benefits, including ration benefits and free bus travel for women.

Besides New Timber Yard Layout, several polling stations have lost more than half their electors to the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, and Others (ASDDO) list.

At Shanti Children School (Room No. 1) in the Sarvagnanagar Assembly constituency, for instance, the Summary Revision 2025 data recorded 1,134 electors. Of these, 1,053 were marked under the ASDDO category.

Residents in this locality reported similar experiences. Many were unaware that their names had been deleted, that the draft electoral rolls had been published, or that they could apply using Form-6 for inclusion in the rolls. Some residents knew that the SIR exercise was under way but said BLOs had told them that their enumeration forms would be issued in another State. However, these electors said they did not receive enumeration forms there either, even after the SIR exercise was completed.

The Hindu also contacted the BLOs to verify whether the deletions at these polling stations had changed, as the enumeration data accessed are from August. Before the publication of the draft rolls, the ASDDO list had been made public and many names were subsequently restored. However, updated figures were not provided.

Published - October 22, 2026 06:01 am IST

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