PANAJI
Nearly 90,000 voters in Goa have been flagged for deletion from the draft electoral roll under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjay Goel, IAS, said on Sunday.
The draft roll, now revised for publication on December 16, will exclude these 90,000 names categorised as ASDD -- Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate.
Goel said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visited these voters multiple times during the verification exercise. In many cases, voters were not found at their registered addresses, had permanently shifted, were reported deceased, or confirmed that they were enrolled elsewhere.
“These names will not feature in the draft roll,” Goel stated, adding that the deletions aim to ensure accuracy and transparency in the electoral process.
Goel also said that the list of these 90,000 ASDD voters will be displayed on the CEO’s website, at the office notice boards of the DROs, and in major public institutions.
During the claims and objections period, any person flagged under ASDD can contest the categorisation by submitting applications in the prescribed 'form 6' along with supporting documents.
"If verified, their names will be reinstated in the final electoral roll," Goel said.
Goa, through the ongoing SIR exercise, has digitised 11.45 lakh enumeration forms, representing 96.5 percent of the total electorate.
Around 40,000 forms -- roughly 3.5 percent -- are still awaited, Goel said, adding that the verification process is ongoing to ensure that the voter list is free of errors before the next phase of updates.
The CEO also addressed questions on Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders. He clarified that 88 OCI card holders registered in Goa remain eligible to vote as they retain Indian citizenship. However, individuals who have acquired Portuguese passports lose their Indian citizenship and therefore cannot vote.
“Citizenship status is the determining factor,” Goel explained.
The SIR is part of the Election Commission’s nationwide effort to update and clean electoral rolls ahead of future polls.
In Goa, the exercise has gained urgency given the State’s unique demographic profile, where migration and dual citizenship issues often complicate voter registration. Officials said the deletions would help prevent duplication and ensure that only eligible residents are counted.
