Bengaluru: Karnataka has begun issuing notices to 43,81,006 citizens identified under the anomalies/logical discrepancy and no-mapping categories as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, even as the recently published draft rolls have drawn complaints over errors in names, addresses and, in some cases, gender details.
According to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka, the process of generating notices began on Friday. The notices will be handed over to Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who will deliver them to the concerned citizens at their registered addresses.
Those who receive notices will have to appear before the concerned Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) with the specified supporting documents for verification. Failure to complete the verification process could result in the removal of their names from the electoral rolls, after which they may have to apply afresh for inclusion through Form-6.
Notice process follows publication of draft rolls
The notice process began a week after the draft electoral rolls were published on August 24 under the SIR exercise. The revision process has, however, also brought complaints from several voters who found discrepancies in their details despite having submitted enumeration forms with what they said were correct particulars.
Some citizens have reported spelling mistakes in their names, while others have complained about incorrect initials, addresses and gender details appearing in the draft electoral rolls.
Bengaluru resident Netrashree L said she was surprised to find her name misspelt in the draft despite submitting an enumeration form with the correct details to the BLO.
She questioned the purpose of asking citizens to fill out and submit enumeration forms when errors from earlier electoral rolls appeared to have continued in the new draft.
Another elector, Lakshmikantha, complained that errors relating to initials, spelling and address had not been corrected. She said she had specifically checked with the BLO while filling out the form and was assured that the details would be updated while preparing the new rolls.
Similarly, voter Shivaprakash K said citizens were now being required to undergo another process to correct mistakes that had appeared in the uploaded information.
CEO office clarifies purpose of enumeration exercise
Responding to the complaints, a senior official from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, clarified that the house-to-house enumeration exercise was not intended to correct all existing errors in the electoral rolls.
According to the official, the primary purpose of the exercise was to update and clean the rolls, establish the citizenship of electors using the database from the last SIR conducted in 2002, and identify dead and duplicate voters.
The official said BLOs were not authorised to independently make corrections to an elector’s personal details. Their role was limited to verifying voter information during the enumeration exercise and uploading the relevant details.
Citizens seeking corrections to their names, addresses, gender or other electoral information can use Form-8. Corrections can be submitted online, through the respective BLO or during the special campaign days at designated polling stations.
The official also pointed out that an Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), commonly referred to as a voter ID card, is meant primarily for identification during voting and is not treated as a standalone legal government document for all forms of verification.
Claims and objections window remains open
Under the present SIR schedule, citizens can file claims and objections from August 24 to September 23.
The process of issuing notices, verifying records and disposing of claims and objections will continue from August 24 to October 22. The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on October 27.
Election officials have urged citizens to carefully examine their entries in the draft rolls and respond promptly if they receive a notice under the anomalies or no-mapping categories.
Citizens whose names are already included but contain incorrect details can submit Form-8 for corrections. Those who are eligible but are not enrolled in the electoral rolls can apply through Form-6.
Form-7 can be used to seek the deletion of names from the electoral rolls in cases where an entry is ineligible or requires removal under the prescribed rules.
Bengaluru records highest number of notices
The highest number of notices under the specified categories is being generated in Bengaluru Urban, where 9,45,798 citizens have been identified.
BBMP North follows with 6,12,963 citizens requiring notices, while BBMP Central has 4,29,345 such entries. BBMP South has 4,17,611 citizens listed under the relevant categories.
Bengaluru Rural has 56,359 citizens requiring notices, while Davanagere has the lowest number at 7,085.
The large number of cases in the Bengaluru region has also placed special focus on the city during the SIR exercise.
Officials said 46,88,744 of Karnataka’s total 1,07,96,415 entries under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO) category are concentrated across Bengaluru’s four districts. This accounts for 43.42% of the state’s total ASDDO entries.
Special camps to assist voters
The CEO’s office has announced special campaigns to help citizens with fresh enrolment and corrections to electoral records.
The campaigns are scheduled for August 29-30 and September 19-20. District Election Officers have been directed to ensure that BLOs, EROs and AEROs are available at polling stations to assist citizens during the campaign.
Eligible citizens who have not yet enrolled can submit Form-6 for inclusion in the electoral rolls. Those seeking corrections can use Form-8, while Form-7 is available for applications relating to the deletion of entries.
Special attention is expected to be given to areas with a high number of ASDDO cases and voters who have been flagged under anomalies or no-mapping categories.
The SIR exercise has thus brought both voter verification and correction of electoral records into focus. With the final electoral rolls scheduled for publication on October 27, citizens have been advised to check the draft rolls carefully, respond to notices wherever required and complete the necessary procedures within the stipulated timelines.