In a move that brings major relief to thousands of Keralites living abroad, election authorities have scrapped the requirement for VIP and NRI voters to appear in person for electoral roll hearings. Instead of a physical appearance, voters can now complete their verification for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by simply submitting the necessary documents.
Chief Electoral Officer Dr Rathan U Kelkar confirmed that officials can now finalise these verifications via the "ERO Net" online platform. This change directly addresses a growing concern — first highlighted by local reports on January 2 — that many long-term residents who had moved overseas were at risk of being purged from the rolls because they couldn't fly back home just for a brief hearing.
The surge in applications shows exactly why this digital shift was necessary. Since the draft list was released, nearly 200,000 people have applied to be included in the voters' list, with over 44,000 of those specifically filing as NRI voters.
Despite the fact that more than 22 lakh Keralites live and work outside the country, the number of registered expatriate voters has historically stayed under the one-lakh mark. This new, paperwork-only verification process is expected to bridge that gap, making it significantly easier for the global Malayali community to maintain their voice in the state's democratic process without the burden of international travel.
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