Thiruvananthapuram: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala, Rathan U Kelkar, has clarified that house numbers appearing as zero in the voter list are for those who did not provide a house number or house name while registering. During the process of arranging the voter list or migrating to new software, house number or house name is now mandatory, which is why the number shows zero.

Corrections can only be made if a voter submits a request to update their information. Those who have not made any changes so far can rectify deficiencies in the voter list via SIR (Special Intensive Revision) by providing the correct information.

Voters confused

Many voters are concerned about the zero appearing in their house number field. However, apart from media reports, there have been no formal complaints brought to the attention of BLOs, collectors or the CEO’s office. Therefore, no specific instructions have been given to BLOs for handling enumeration forms where house numbers appear as zero.

Some BLOs are reported to be returning incomplete forms to the collectors. Voters who fail to submit fully completed forms may be excluded from the electoral roll, which could be considered a lapse on the part of the BLO.

Kerala situation reported to Election Commission

The CEO has informed the Election Commission of India about the status of BLO staffing, opposition from political parties and the progress of the SIR process in the state.