Overview The upcoming publication of draft electoral rolls in Kerala on December 23 under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has been overshadowed by concerns regarding the surprisingly large number of entries in the Absent, Shifted, Deceased (ASD) list. This list, intended to identify ineligible voters, has revealed discrepancies that political parties are contesting. Key Developments Anomalies in ASD Lists Thiruvananthapuram Constituency: Polling booth No - 138 reports 704 entries in the ASD list, with 592 listed as ‘Untraceable/Absent’ and 16 as deceased. Vattiyoorkavu Constituency: Booth number 154 shows 347 entries, including 116 in the ‘EF Refused’ category and 102 as ‘Untraceable /Absent.’ Statewide Data: The online ASD list contains over 24.08 lakh names, including 6.45 lakh ‘untraceable,’ 8.16 lakh ‘permanently shifted,’ over 1.60 lakh in ‘others’ (including EF Refused), over 6.49 lakh deceased, and 1.36 lakh duplicated names. SIR Process and Concerns Over 2.78 crore voters as of October 27, 2025 , were issued enumeration forms under the SIR process. Political parties, including CPI(M), CPI, Congress, and IUML, have contested the high number of ‘EF Refused’ and ‘Untraceable’ entries. They blame the Election Commission’s “uncalled-for haste” and demand more time to trace voters. Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar published the ASD list online at the insistence of political parties. Geographical Spread The issue is not limited to Thiruvananthapuram but is visible in urban locations across Kerala: Kochi: UP School, Amaravathy booth has 302 names, with 82 ‘EF Refused’ and 69 ‘Untraceable.’ Kozhikode: Zamorins HSS booth has 112 names, with 85 ‘Permanently shifted.’ Thiruvalla: CM LP School Muttathu Kavu booth has 112 names, with 70 ‘untraceable.’ Election Commission's Stance Mr. Kelkar clarified that voters can enroll even after the draft rolls publication until the last day of filing nominations for the 2026 Assembly elections. He reiterated the EC’s mandate to include all eligible voters. A ‘Claims and Objections’ period will run from December 23 to January 22 , followed by a notice phase until February 14 . The final rolls will be published on February 21 . UPSC Relevance This news is relevant to GS2: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice , specifically concerning the electoral process and the role of the Election Commission. The accuracy of electoral rolls is crucial for ensuring free and fair elections, a cornerstone of democracy. The concerns raised by political parties highlight the challenges in maintaining accurate voter lists and the importance of addressing these issues to uphold the integrity of the electoral process. Important Facts The ASD list includes categories for dead voters, untraceable/absent voters, permanently shifted voters, duplicated names, and an ‘others’ category. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process to update and revise electoral rolls. The final electoral rolls for Kerala will be published on February 21 .