SIR: Kerala govt to set up help desks, outreach to assist voters, says CM
To ensure that no eligible voter is denied the right to vote, the Cabinet decided to set up help desks at village offices across the state.
To ensure that no eligible voter is denied the right to vote, the Cabinet decided to set up help desks at village offices across the state.
To ensure that no eligible voter is denied the right to vote, the Cabinet decided to set up help desks at village offices across the state.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to set up help desks and launch extensive outreach measures to assist voters affected by the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
The decision was taken at a State Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan amid concerns that a large number of eligible voters may be excluded from the draft voter list published by the Election Commission as part of the 2025 revision exercise.
Speaking to the media, Vijayan said more than 24 lakh people had been excluded from the draft voter list. He said nearly 19.3 lakh voters, though included in the list, would be required to appear again for hearings with documents to confirm their voting rights. This, he said, was largely because voters aged between 18 and 40 were required to link their eligibility to the 2002 voter list.
The Chief Minister said the Cabinet expressed serious concern that even people who had voted in previous elections, including the 2021 Assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, were now finding their names missing. In some polling booths, the number of exclusions was unusually high, raising doubts about the process, he added.
To ensure that no eligible voter is denied the right to vote, the Cabinet decided to set up help desks at village offices across the state. “Where village offices lack space, nearby government offices will be used. Two officials will be posted at each help desk on a temporary basis to guide people, assist them with documentation and explain procedures,” Vijayan said, adding that district collectors have been directed to make all necessary arrangements.
He said the government would also carry out door-to-door outreach in hilly areas, coastal regions and other backward localities to identify eligible voters and provide assistance. Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and Kudumbashree volunteers will support village officers in this effort.
Special campaigns will be organised in educational institutions to ensure that all students who have completed 18 years of age are included in the voter list, along with awareness programmes to guide young voters through the registration process.
Vijayan noted that the state government had repeatedly urged the Election Commission not to carry out the Special Intensive Revision in undue haste, especially in states approaching elections. He said the ongoing process, marked by extreme scrutiny and urgency, does not serve the larger interests of democracy.
The Chief Minister reiterated that protecting the voting rights of every eligible citizen is a key responsibility of the government and said all possible steps would be taken to ensure no voter is left out.