Lokniti-CSDS Survey: Document Deficits Risk Disenfranchising the Poor and Eroding Trust in Voter Roll Revision Process

• The report highlights limitations on citizen access to documents requested by the Election Commission (EC).

• The report seeks to understand who stands to lose in the special intensive revision (SIR) process and its implications for citizen trust in elections and the EC.

• Uneven access to documents is evident across all caste groups, with Aadhaar cards being nearly universal across all caste groups.

• PAN card ownership is highest among the general category respondents, but falls to just over half among Scheduled Castes (SC).

• Passports are rare across social groups, with only about one in every five in the general category.

• Tenth-class and domicile certificates follow a similar pattern, with higher possession among Other Backward Class (OBC) and general groups.

• Caste certificates are more common among ST respondents, with four of every five possessing one.

• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) documents are almost universally held across all groups.

• Parents’ documentation status also shows uneven access, with large numbers across all caste groups reporting that their parents lack key documents such as SUHAS PALSHIKAR, SANJAY KUMAR, SANDEEP SHASTRI, KRISHANGI SINHA, SSC certificates or birth certificates.

• Economic status further deepens the divide, with wealthier respondents more likely to own PAN cards, passports, and educational certificates.

• State-level variations in overall document unavailability are also highlighted, with Uttar Pradesh and Delhi having the highest levels of document unavailability.

Public Perception on Voter Verification in India

• Public awareness of potential exclusions is high, with illiterate people and the elderly being most affected.

• Poor, rural residents, and migrants are also seen as particularly vulnerable.

• Concerns about wrongful exclusion are widespread, with 45% of respondents believing genuine voters may be removed from the rolls during the verification process under SIR.

• Confidence in the Electoral Commission’s ability to ensure inclusivity is moderate, with over a quarter of respondents “very confident” that all eligible voters would be retained on the rolls.

• Data from the 2019 NES survey, 2024 NES survey, and 2025 documentation study shows a consistent decline in high trust in the Electoral Commission (EC) across all six States.

• The Lokniti study highlights the challenges associated with voter verification, including citizen access to documents.

• Non-possession of documents leads to possible exclusion of marginalized sections, impacting the EC’s popular trust and confidence.

• The exclusion of less privileged members of society risks pushing them to the status of doubtful citizens.

• The downgrading of sections for non-possession of citizenship documents makes them more vulnerable and helpless.

Lokniti-CSDS Voter Survey is important topic for Civil service exam (WBCS).

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