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4 August 2026

High draft-stage voter roll deletions in Karnataka

The issue concerns the integrity of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission, which are core topics under the Representation of the People Act and constitutional governance.

1 min read Day 7 of 7 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • Karnataka has identified 1.10 crore voters, representing 19.95% of the total electoral roll, under the ASDDO (Absent, Shifted, Duplicate, Dead and Others) category.
  • This figure exceeds previous high draft-stage deletion records in Uttar Pradesh (19.09%) and Arunachal Pradesh (18.7%).
  • The ASDDO list is a mechanism intended for the potential removal of names from the electoral roll.
  • The process requires voters to proactively object to their inclusion in the ASDDO list to prevent deletion.
  • Approximately 2.41 lakh enumeration forms are pending digitisation, with current trends indicating that over 60% of newly digitised forms are added to the ASDDO category.
  • The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka has confirmed the administrative nature of this exercise in maintaining electoral roll accuracy.

Part of a longer story

This is day 7 of 7 in Karnataka electoral roll revision controversy, which has been running since 22 June 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

Questions

  1. Discuss the significance of maintaining accurate electoral rolls in a democracy. How does the 'Absent, Shifted, Duplicate, Dead and Others' (ASDDO) classification impact the integrity of the electoral process? 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The Election Commission of India is mandated to ensure the purity of electoral rolls. Critically examine the challenges involved in the periodic revision of electoral rolls and the administrative safeguards required to prevent the disenfranchisement of eligible voters during large-scale deletion exercises. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. What does the acronym 'ASDDO' stand for in the context of electoral roll management in India?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-08-04/high-draft-stage-voter-roll-deletions-in-karnataka