Election Commission Exposes Draft Voter List for Kerala's 2026 Polls

By John Pranay (Editor)

A draft electoral roll for Kerala's 2026 Assembly elections has been released by the Election Commission of India, following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The provisional voter list is now available for public scrutiny, allowing citizens to verify details, request corrections, or seek inclusion of missing names. The revision process, which spans 321 districts and 1,843 Assembly constituencies, has identified 24.81 lakh voters as "uncollectible." The draft roll is available online and offline, with citizens advised to promptly contact their respective Booth Level Officer or local Block Development Office if their names are missing.

The Election Commission of India has published Kerala's draft electoral rolls as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The SIR exercise aims to clean and update voter data while ensuring the inclusion of new eligible voters. The draft roll is available for public scrutiny, allowing citizens to verify details, request corrections, or seek inclusion of missing names. Eligible voters who do not find their names on the draft list are advised to contact their respective Booth Level Officer or local Block Development Office.

The Election Commission has launched the second phase of the SIR in November 2025, covering nine states and three Union Territories. The exercise involves house-to-house enumeration, pre-filled forms, online submissions, and fresh verification of old voter data. The draft roll is available online through the voter's service portal and the official ECI portal, which provides a direct search tool for the voter list.

• November 2025: The Election Commission of India launches the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, covering nine states and three Union Territories.

• December 18, 2025: The house-to-house enumeration component of the revision is completed in Kerala.

• December 23, 2025: The draft electoral rolls for Kerala's 2026 Assembly elections are released.

• January 22, 2026: The window for filing claims and objections remains open.

The draft electoral roll affects approximately 24.81 lakh voters who have been identified as "uncollectible" during the revision process. Eligible voters who do not find their names on the draft list are advised to contact their respective Booth Level Officer or local Block Development Office to request corrections or seek inclusion of missing names. The Election Commission has urged voters to verify their details within the stipulated period to ensure that eligible voters are not excluded and ineligible names do not remain in the electoral roll.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is a crucial preparatory step ahead of Kerala's Assembly elections expected in 2026. The exercise aims to clean and update voter data while ensuring the inclusion of new eligible voters. The draft electoral roll is a significant step towards ensuring the integrity of the electoral process in Kerala. The Election Commission's efforts to update voter data and ensure the inclusion of new eligible voters are critical to maintaining the credibility of the electoral process.

The draft electoral roll may pose risks to eligible voters who do not find their names on the list. These risks include:

• Ineligibility to vote in the 2026 Assembly elections

• Difficulty in accessing government services and benefits

• Potential exclusion from the electoral process due to incomplete or inaccurate voter data

Eligible voters who do not find their names on the draft list are advised to contact their respective Booth Level Officer or local Block Development Office to request corrections or seek inclusion of missing names.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the draft electoral roll are critical steps towards ensuring the integrity of the electoral process in Kerala. However, the pace of change in the electoral process is slow, and the revision process has taken several months to complete. This suggests that the Election Commission is taking a cautious approach to updating voter data and ensuring the inclusion of new eligible voters. Crucially, this overlooks the potential risks to eligible voters who do not find their names on the draft list. To mitigate these risks, the Election Commission must ensure that eligible voters are aware of the draft electoral roll and the process for requesting corrections or seeking inclusion of missing names.

Our internal tone gauge currently reads: Neutral for this development.

1. Kerala Draft Electoral Rolls 2025 Released: How To Check Your Name in Voter List Online; Claims Open Until Jan — https://www.goodreturns.in/news/kerala-draft-electoral-rolls-2025-released-know-how-to-check-your-name-in-voter-list-online-claims-u-1477782.html

2. Kerala SIR 2026 Voter List: How to check your name in the election draft roll and what to do if it is missing? Step-by-step guide — https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/kerala-sir-voter-list-out-today-how-to-check-your-name-in-the-election-draft-roll-and-what-to-do-if-it-is-missing-step-by-step-guide/articleshow/126136319.cms

3. Kerala SIR 2026 Voter List: How to Check Your name online, step-by-step guide — https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala-sir-2026-voter-list-how-to-check-your-name-online-step-by-step-guide-10434278/

Methodology: This analysis combines real-time data aggregation from manually selected global sources with advanced AI synthesis, engineered to provide neutral and data-driven insights.