ECI reopens the doors for voters excluded from draft electoral roll

The victims of arbitrary deletions from the draft electoral roll have got a fresh opportunity to enrol themselves for the final rolls as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls.

A statement from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer informed that the Election Commission of India is providing one more opportunity to the electors whose names could not be included in the draft Electoral Roll published on August 17, 2026 on account of being marked as Absent/Shifted/Dead/Duplicate (ASDD), to get their names included in the final roll.

The ECI’s decision to reopen the enumeration process follows the Supreme Court’s observation that asking deleted voters to file Form 6 was an error, as Form 6 was intended for first-time voters.

The entire process will have to be completed by November 21, 2026 in all respects, the CEO’s statement said.

A total 73.39 lakh voters in Telangana were grouped under the ASDD category and excluded from the draft electoral roll.

As per the procedure laid out by the ECI, booth-wise lists of such electors are to be displayed afresh at polling stations, local body offices and other designated government offices. The lists, along with probable reasons for non-inclusion, will also be uploaded on the Chief Electoral Officers’ websites.

The electors can submit their duly filled enumeration forms to the concerned Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) corresponding to their current ordinary residence. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been asked to contact the electors through house-to-house visits, phone calls and other available means, including WhatsApp, email and SMS.

Electors who have not shifted residence can submit the enumeration form along with a statement explaining why they could not submit it earlier.

Those who have shifted within the State can submit the form along with a statement indicating their new address and Assembly constituency, accompanied by proof of residence, to the ERO or AERO concerned of the assembly constituency where they have shifted. They need not submit Form-8 for this purpose. In order to contact their BLO, the elector can use the ‘Book a call with BLO’ facility available on the ECI website or ECINET app.

The Commission has also enabled electors to download or fill in their enumeration forms through the ECI website or ECINET application using the EPIC number they had held before deletion. Online submission with e-sign will also be facilitated.

In the case of homeless electors who do not possess address documents, a field verification report by the BLO will be sufficient as proof of residence. Electors who have already submitted Form-6 for fresh enrolment during the SIR need not submit the enumeration form again.

The accepted applications will be processed after verification of eligibility and ordinary residence under the prescribed procedure. The same EPIC number held by the elector before the SIR will be reassigned.

Following the ECI directions, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy has instructed the GHMC Commissioner and Hyderabad District Election Officer, and all District Collectors and DEOs, to ensure strict compliance.