2025 Local Body Polls: 12 Lakh Voter Applications Filed in 12 Days

### Quick Summary
– The Kerala State Election commission has received over 12 lakh applications for voter inclusion ahead of the 2025 local body elections.- Specifically, 12,41,134 Form 4 applications have been submitted for adding names to the voters’ list. Malappuram and Thrissur recorded the highest numbers.- Additional forms received include:
– 6,196 Form 6 applications for corrections.
– 61,390 Form 7 applications for transposition (changing wards).
– A total of 77,700 objections against name inclusions have also been filed.- Draft electoral rolls were published on July 23 with a voter count of 2.66 crore (1.40 crore women, 1.26 crore men).
– Deadline for enrolment and complaints is August 7; an extension has been requested by political parties citing flaws in draft rolls.
– The State Election Commission will review demands for deadline extension on August 6; final electoral roll is scheduled to be released on August 30.

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### Indian Opinion Analysis
The large volume of voter inclusion and correction requests reflects active public engagement in Kerala’s upcoming local body elections. With a total voter count exceeding over two and a half crores in the state per draft rolls, ensuring an accurate revision becomes vital both administratively and democratically.

Political pressure from some groups suggests concerns about errors or discrepancies in the draft rolls possibly affecting fair portrayal during the polls. However, State Election Commissioner A. Shajahan has noted that such high request inflows are normal during pre-election revisions.

while extending deadlines may provide additional time to address complications raised by citizens or political entities, it could strain commission resources given its commitment to releasing final lists by August-end-a critical timeline if election preparations are to remain uninterrupted.

Kerala’s proactive steps toward revising electoral records speak well of its democratic process but underline the logistical complexity of balancing accuracy with efficiency.Read More: