The Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka commences today, with 59,050 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deployed across the state to conduct door-to-door voter enumeration. The exercise aims to update and purify the electoral rolls by distributing and collecting enumeration forms from every registered voter.
Scope and Objectives of the SIR
According to the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, the SIR is a comprehensive drive to ensure accurate and error-free electoral rolls. Each BLO will visit households within their assigned polling booth area to hand over Form 1 (for new voters), Form 7 (for deletion or correction), and Form 8 (for transposition within a constituency). The forms must be filled and returned to the BLOs within the stipulated timeline.
The state has over 5.2 crore registered voters as of the last update, and the SIR is expected to add new eligible voters, remove duplicate or deceased entries, and correct discrepancies in names, addresses, and photographs. The process is critical for the upcoming assembly elections scheduled in 2028.
Implementation Details
The BLOs will work under the supervision of 30,000 polling officials and 1,200 electoral registration officers. The enumeration forms are available in Kannada and English to facilitate wider accessibility. Citizens are advised to keep their voter ID cards and supporting documents ready for verification.
“The door-to-door enumeration will continue for 15 days, after which the forms will be processed and claims and objections will be invited,” said a senior election official. The final publication of the updated electoral roll is expected by September 2026.
Impact on Voter Turnout
Political analysts believe that a clean electoral roll will boost voter confidence and turnout. In the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections, voter turnout was 73.8%, and the SIR aims to address issues like missing names and multiple entries that often deter voters. The Election Commission has also launched a mobile app and a helpline number for citizens to track the status of their applications.
