Around 1.8 crore voters in Maharashtra could be left out of the draft electoral roll after their enumeration forms remained uncollected, according to information shared by State Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam on Wednesday, August 12. The figure represents 18.46% of the state's total electorate.
Mumbai alone has nearly 30 lakh voters in the uncollected category. They have been classified as ASDD voters, which stands for Absent, Shifted, Deceased or Duplicate. There are only five days left to collect enumeration forms. Voters who have not yet submitted their forms face the possibility of their names not appearing in the draft electoral roll.
The information was shared by Chockalingam after a meeting with political parties. He said 969,547,666 voters, or 99.08% of Maharashtra's 97,854,049 electors, had received enumeration forms. However, only 76,098,153 forms have been scanned, signed and returned. This accounts for 77.77% of the total electorate.
Category | Number of voters | Percentage |
Total electors | 9,78,54,049 | 100% |
Forms distributed | 9,69,54,766 | 99.08% |
Forms scanned, signed and returned | 7,60,98,153 | 77.77% |
ASDD forms uncollected | 1,80,60,697 | 18.46% |
Pending cases | 36,95,199 | 3.78% |
The number of voters facing possible deletion is not unusual. Other states had also recorded deletions of around 13% to 18% at the national level. Voters whose names are at risk of being removed will still have an opportunity to register. They can submit Form 6 during the claims and objections period.
The number of ASDD voters is particularly high in urban areas like Thane, Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, Palghar and Raigad. In Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban districts, 63% of the forms have been digitised. The deadline to collect enumeration forms has been set for August 17 under the revised schedule.
The next key dates are:
August 17, 2026: Deadline for collecting Enumeration Forms
August 24, 2026: Draft Electoral Roll to be published
September 23, 2026: Last date to file claims and objections
October 27, 2026: Final Electoral Roll expected to be published
District Election Officers have been asked to carry out strict verification so that eligible voters are not left out. Political party Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will exchange lists of voters classified under the ASDD category. They will also conduct door-to-door visits at selected addresses to help voters submit their forms.
The ASDD lists will be published on the official websites of the respective districts. Details of meetings held during the verification process will also have to be recorded and uploaded to ECINET through the BLO App.
The Election Commission will also conduct checks to identify duplicate entries. It will use Photo Similar Entries (PSE) and Data Similar Entries (DSE) checks for this purpose. If a voter is found to be registered at multiple locations, the enumeration form will be accepted only for the person's current primary residence. The other entries will be placed in the Uncollectable EF category with the remark "Already Enrolled".
The law also prohibits voters from being registered at multiple locations. Sections 17 and 18 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, deal with multiple registrations. Making a false declaration about electoral rolls is also an offence under Section 31 of the Act.
Physical and digital copies of the draft electoral roll will be made available through the Chief Electoral Officer's portal, district websites, government agencies and recognised political parties. The electoral rolls being prepared through the revision will also be used for future local authority elections. The State Election Commission has therefore asked local body officials to provide full cooperation during the process.