Supreme Court Urges Election Commission to Extend Objection Deadline for Kerala Voter Roll Changes

The Supreme Court has recommended that the Election Commission extend the deadline for voters in Kerala to file objections regarding the deletion of names from the electoral rolls. This suggestion comes amid concerns about voters' access to information on excluded names. The court has also mandated that the names of those removed be publicly displayed in local offices and on the commission's website. With significant numbers of voters affected, the court's decision aims to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process as the revision continues across multiple states.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 15, 2026, 16:47 IST

Supreme Court's Directive on Voter Roll Objections

On Thursday, the Supreme Court advised the Election Commission to contemplate extending the deadline for voters to file objections regarding the removal of names from Kerala's draft electoral rolls, as reported by a legal news outlet.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, highlighted the challenges voters face in obtaining information about those whose names have been excluded.

Additionally, the court instructed the Election Commission to ensure that the names of excluded voters are displayed publicly at gram panchayat offices and other accessible locations in villages, as well as on its official website.

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is currently taking place across 12 states and Union Territories, including Kerala, where the process is in the claims and objections phase.

In Kerala, the draft electoral rolls released on December 23 indicated that 24 lakh names had been removed from a total electorate of 2.7 crore, representing about 8.7% of voters.

Voters have until January 22 to submit claims and objections regarding these deletions. The notice phase, which involves hearings and verification, will last until February 14, with the final electoral rolls expected to be published on February 21.

During the proceedings, petitioners informed the court that while voters can contest deletions, they do not have access to the list of individuals removed from the draft roll.

The Election Commission's counsel stated that the court's previous order regarding the public display of draft electoral rolls had been followed.

However, the bench insisted that if the list of excluded voters had not been made public, it should be displayed at local offices and on the commission's website.

“Given the difficulties faced by the public, the [Election Commission] should consider extending the deadline,” the bench remarked.

The commission's counsel agreed to take this suggestion into account.

The court is currently reviewing a series of petitions challenging the legitimacy of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in various states, including Kerala.

One petition has been submitted by the Kerala government, which has not opposed the revision but requested a delay due to local body elections held on December 9 and 11.

In Bihar, where the revision was completed prior to the Assembly elections in November, approximately 47 lakh voters were excluded from the final electoral roll.

Concerns were raised in Bihar regarding the potential removal of eligible voters from the rolls, prompting several petitioners to approach the Supreme Court.