Hyderabad: Voters who do not submit their enumeration forms during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) may be excluded from the draft electoral roll after booth-level officers (BLOs) verify their status as absent, deceased, shifted, or duplicate voters. Election authorities clarify that this exclusion is not final, and eligible voters can seek inclusion during the claims and objections period.
Verification Process for Unreturned Forms
If an enumeration form is not returned, the BLO will inquire with nearby residents to determine the elector's status. Those identified as absent, deceased, shifted, or duplicate—classified as ASD voters—will not appear in the draft electoral roll, scheduled for publication on July 31.
This issue is particularly significant in urban areas with large migrant and floating populations. Voters who are away may miss BLO visits or fail to submit forms within the prescribed period. Similar exercises in Gujarat and Bihar showed that unreturned forms became a major trigger for scrutiny of voter records.
BLO Visits and Alternative Submission Methods
BLOs are required to make at least three visits to every household to distribute and collect forms. If an elector is away, an adult family member can fill in and sign the form on their behalf, including for relatives working abroad or in other cities.
Forms can also be submitted online via the voters.eci.gov.in portal if the elector's name in the electoral roll matches the details on their Aadhaar card. Those who do not receive forms can contact their BLO or obtain details through the CEO Telangana website or ECINET app.
Official Statements
Telangana chief electoral officer C Sudharshan Reddy stated, “If they do not get the enumeration form, they can do it online, and relatives can fill it up for people who are not here.” If the form is neither returned nor submitted online, the prescribed verification process will be followed, he added.
TPCC election commission coordination committee chairman P Rajesh Kumar questioned how voters can return forms when BLOs do not visit them. “If enumeration forms are not given to voters, how will they return them? BLOs are not visiting. Those who do not return the forms will be served notices,” he said.
Claims and Objections Period
Eligible voters left out of the draft roll can file claims between July 31 and August 30. Those found eligible will be included in the final electoral roll, scheduled for publication on October 1.
