Kerala's statewide electoral roll revision drive is set to begin on 15 October 2026, even as Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) D. Sajith Babu simultaneously holds charge of the General Education and Minority Welfare departments — an arrangement that places three distinct administrative portfolios under a single officer during a critical electoral exercise. The revision, which runs through 31 October, will be followed by a week-long 'Campus to Booth' campaign from 2 November to encourage first-time and young voters to enrol.

Who Is D. Sajith Babu

D. Sajith Babu, a 2012-batch IAS officer holding the rank of Special Secretary, was designated as Kerala's CEO by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in August 2026. He has since continued to hold charge of two other state departments. Under Section 13A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the CEO functions directly under the control of the ECI in supervising all electoral work in the state.

How the Revision Drive Works

District Collectors across Kerala have been instructed to set up form distribution centres and digital help desks near Village Offices. Eligible voters can apply for inclusion in the electoral roll using Form 6, either at these designated centres or through the online portal. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct field visits to verify applications, while Electoral Registration Officers will examine discrepancies between existing electoral rolls and pending applications that remained unresolved during earlier revision exercises.

Campus to Booth Campaign

From 2 November, the 'Campus to Booth' initiative will be rolled out across colleges, higher secondary schools, and schools statewide. District Collectors have been specifically directed to ensure maximum student participation in voter awareness and enrolment activities. The campaign targets first-time eligible voters who may not yet have registered.

The Multiple-Charge Question

The General Education Department oversees Kerala's extensive school network — a responsibility that carries significant administrative weight on its own. The Minority Welfare Department similarly carries independent policy and programme obligations. Having these alongside the CEO's election duties — which now require coordinating officials across all of Kerala's districts — has drawn attention to the workload concentration. Notably, this is not an unusual arrangement in Indian administrative practice, where IAS officers routinely hold additional charges; however, the timing of a high-stakes revision drive sharpens the spotlight on the arrangement.

What Comes Next

The immediate focus will be on the effective implementation of the ECI's instructions and the timely completion of verification and enrolment activities statewide before the revision window closes on 31 October. The success of the drive — measured by the number of new enrolments and discrepancies resolved — will ultimately reflect on the administrative capacity under the current charge structure.