Karnataka SIR: 95% Enumeration Forms distributed, 1.27 lakh electors untraceable
Synopsis
Karnataka's voter roll clean-up is revealing the cracks in its database: nearly 12 lakh electors flagged under ASDDO categories, with over 1.27 lakh simply untraceable. With 95% of Enumeration Forms distributed and the deadline set for 29 July 2026, the SIR is shaping up as the most consequential electoral audit the state has seen in years.
Key Takeaways
95.10 per cent of Enumeration Forms — totalling 5,27,15,809 — have been distributed across Karnataka as of 14 July 2026 .
1,99,51,636 forms ( 35.99 per cent ) have been digitised; 17 polling stations have achieved 100 per cent digitisation.
1,27,516 electors have been found untraceable or absent during door-to-door verification.
A total of 11,89,525 electors are under the ASDDO category, including 6,79,906 permanently shifted and 3,19,822 deceased.
The SIR exercise runs until 29 July 2026 ; Karnataka's total electorate stands at 5,54,32,314 as of 16 June 2026 .
Karnataka's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is progressing rapidly, with 95.10 per cent of Enumeration Forms (EFs) distributed to eligible voters and nearly 36 per cent digitised, according to data released by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka, on Tuesday, 14 July 2026. The ongoing exercise has also flagged 1,27,516 electors as untraceable or absent, raising questions about the accuracy of the state's existing voter database.
Distribution and Digitisation Progress
Of Karnataka's total electorate of 5,54,32,314 — as recorded on 16 June 2026 — a total of 5,27,15,809 Enumeration Forms have been distributed across the state. The house-to-house enumeration drive, running from 30 June to 29 July 2026, has reached full completion at 42,834 polling stations, representing 72.54 per cent of all stations, while a further 8,216 polling stations (13.91 per cent) have crossed the 90 per cent distribution threshold.
On digitisation, 1,99,51,636 forms — or 35.99 per cent of the total — have been processed so far. 17 polling stations have achieved 100 per cent digitisation, and 1,454 stations have crossed the 90 per cent mark. Additionally, the Election Commission has received 2,21,814 forms through its online submission portal, accounting for 0.40 per cent of the total electorate.
Untraceable and ASDDO Electors
The verification exercise has surfaced significant anomalies in Karnataka's voter rolls. Election officials have identified 11,89,525 electors under the ASDDO (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, or Otherwise) category for further scrutiny. Within this group, 6,79,906 electors have been found to have permanently shifted, 3,19,822 are recorded as deceased, 58,602 are already enrolled elsewhere, 1,27,516 are untraceable or absent, and 3,679 fall under other categories.
Notably, the scale of ASDDO flags — nearly 12 lakh electors — underscores persistent challenges in maintaining clean electoral rolls in a state with a large migrant workforce and significant urban-to-rural demographic churn.
How Voters Can Submit Forms
The SIR allows electors to submit their Enumeration Forms through two channels: offline, via Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during door-to-door visits, or online through the Election Commission's digital portal. The verification and digitisation exercise will continue until 29 July 2026, after which the updated rolls will be compiled.
What the Exercise Aims to Achieve
The Special Intensive Revision is designed to purify and update Karnataka's electoral rolls by verifying every elector's details through a systematic, ground-level exercise. With the state's rolls carrying over 5.54 crore registered voters, the SIR represents one of the largest voter verification drives in the state's recent history. The Election Commission is expected to publish revised rolls once the July deadline passes.
Point of View
Death, and duplicate entries. Over 12 lakh ASDDO flags in a single enumeration cycle suggest the rolls have not been rigorously cleaned in years. The untraceable figure of 1.27 lakh is particularly telling — these are voters who cannot be located at their registered addresses, a category that is especially vulnerable to impersonation. The real test of this exercise will not be the distribution percentage, but how many of these flagged entries are actually removed before the next election cycle.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a door-to-door voter verification drive conducted by the Election Commission to update and purify Karnataka's electoral rolls. Running from 30 June to 29 July 2026, it involves distributing Enumeration Forms to all registered electors and digitising the collected data.
How many electors have been found untraceable in Karnataka's SIR?
As of 14 July 2026, election officials have identified 1,27,516 electors as untraceable or absent during the ongoing verification exercise. These electors could not be located at their registered addresses during door-to-door visits.
What is the ASDDO category in the Karnataka voter roll exercise?
ASDDO stands for Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, or Otherwise — a classification used by election officials to flag electors whose details require further verification. In the current SIR, 11,89,525 electors across Karnataka have been placed in this category.
How can Karnataka voters submit their Enumeration Forms?
Voters can submit their Enumeration Forms either offline through Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during door-to-door visits, or online via the Election Commission's digital portal. As of 14 July 2026, 2,21,814 forms have been submitted online.
When will Karnataka's SIR electoral roll exercise be completed?
The verification and digitisation process is scheduled to continue until 29 July 2026, after which the Election Commission will compile the updated and purified electoral rolls for Karnataka.
