Hyderabad voter digitisation at 58.60%, 18.74 lakh ASD records missing

Digitisation drive at halfway mark

Telangana's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls for 2026 has thrown up a worrying gap in Hyderabad. As per the latest data, the city's digitisation of voter records stands at 58.60 percent, a figure that officials describe as steady but incomplete. The process, which began earlier this year, aims to link every elector with their Aadhaar and other identifying documents.

But the more striking number is the shortfall in what are called ASD (Absent, Shifted, and Deceased) voters. As many as 18.74 lakh such names are missing from the updated rolls in Hyderabad district alone. This means a significant chunk of electors may not be on the final list when the revision concludes.

What the missing ASD records mean

ASD voters are those who have either moved residences, passed away, or cannot be located at their registered address. In a routine revision, these names are flagged and removed after verification. However, the scale here is unusual. With 18.74 lakh records unaccounted for, electoral officials face the task of reconciling this with the digitisation data.

The gap suggests that while the system is capturing new enrolments and updates, the deletion process for ASD voters has not kept pace. For Hyderabad, which has a large floating population and frequent address changes, this is a known challenge. Yet the current numbers indicate the backlog has grown, possibly due to incomplete field verification during the pandemic years.

No official confirmation on reasons

Officials have not yet confirmed whether the missing ASD voters are a result of data-entry errors, pending deletions, or genuine gaps in the digitisation process. The Election Commission's guidelines require that all such cases be resolved before the final publication of the rolls. But with the revision still underway, the timeline for a full reconciliation remains unclear.

Sources within the election office suggest that a special drive is being planned to verify these records physically. Door-to-door checks, particularly in dense urban pockets, are expected to begin soon. However, no formal announcement has been made.

What this means for voters

For the ordinary Hyderabad voter, the immediate concern is whether their name appears in the updated list. Many residents, especially those who moved during the last few years, may find themselves in the ASD category without knowing it. The absence of such names could lead to confusion on polling day, even if the actual deletion is not yet finalised.

Election officials advise electors to check their status on the National Voters' Service Portal (NVSP) or through the state's dedicated helpline. Corrections and objections can be filed during the ongoing revision window, which is open for public claims. But the process requires documentary proof, and for those who have shifted, the burden of providing updated address proof falls on them.

The 58.60 percent digitisation figure itself is a mixed indicator. It shows that a majority of records have been converted to the digital format, but it also means over 40 percent are still in the older paper-based system. This could slow down the final integration of data, especially when cross-checking with Aadhaar and other databases.

Looking ahead

The next few weeks will be crucial. Election authorities are expected to release a revised schedule for completing the digitisation and clearing the ASD backlog. A final voter list, incorporating all corrections, is likely to be published only after these steps are completed. For now, voters in Hyderabad should stay alert and verify their names early, rather than wait for the last minute.