The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka has created difficulties for many voters in Bengaluru, particularly in Mahadevapura Assembly constituency, where archived 2002 polling booth electoral records were temporarily unavailable. These records are used as “legacy” references during the verification process, and their absence left many residents unable to complete their forms.
What happened?
- Thousands of voters reported that they could not locate their own names—or those of their parents or relatives—in the archived 2002 electoral rolls.
- The issue was most prominently reported in areas such as Hagadur, Varthur, and AECS Layout within Mahadevapura.
- Without these legacy records, many people were unsure how to complete the SIR verification forms.
Election Commission’s response
The Karnataka Election Commission acknowledged the issue and said:
- The missing records problem was largely due to heavy server traffic and technical issues, not because the records had been permanently lost.
- Officials stated the problem would be resolved quickly by restoring access to the archived rolls.
What should affected voters do?
Election officials have advised voters that:
- They should submit the SIR enumeration form even if they cannot find the 2002 legacy record.
- If the legacy details are unavailable, that section may be left blank initially.
- The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) may later seek additional documents or clarification before making a final decision on the voter’s entry.
Wider concerns
The issue has led to broader confusion among both voters and Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Civic groups have raised concerns that:
- Inconsistent guidance from officials has made the process difficult to understand.
- Vulnerable groups and long-time residents may face additional hurdles if historical records cannot be easily verified.
- The Election Commission has since extended the SIR deadline by 10 days and announced weekend assistance camps to help voters complete the process.
The Election Commission has maintained that the objective of the SIR exercise is to ensure accurate and updated electoral rolls, while emphasizing that technical issues with accessing legacy records should not prevent eligible voters from submitting their verification forms.
