Bengaluru Voters Struggle With Technical Glitches in Accessing Draft Electoral Rolls
Four days after the Karnataka State Election Commission published the draft voter list for elections to the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), citizens continue to face significant difficulties accessing the electoral rolls due to persistent website malfunctions. Residents across Bengaluru report that the official portal remains either completely inaccessible or frustratingly slow for extended periods, preventing them from verifying whether their names appear on the voter list.
Critical 15-Day Verification Window Complicated by Technical Issues
The timing of these technical problems is particularly concerning as voters have only a limited 15-day window to check their details, raise objections, or request corrections. Multiple residents confirmed that while the website was briefly accessible on Wednesday, it remained largely non-functional or extremely sluggish throughout Thursday, adding to widespread confusion and anxiety among the electorate.
Beyond the technical glitches, citizens have identified another major concern – the complete absence of a direct search option on the official website. This deficiency becomes especially problematic given that each ward contains more than 10 polling stations, with over 700 voters listed under each station. With recent ward delimitation and voters now split across different wards, residents describe the current manual process of searching through multiple large PDF files as both extremely time-consuming and deeply frustrating.
Citizen Voices Highlight Systemic Problems
Domlur resident Shivakumar expressed the collective frustration, stating: "Voters are being kept in a state of suspense and confusion. The list was published, but it is unclear who actually has access to it. Sufficient time should be given for people to make necessary corrections."
Another citizen, who preferred to remain anonymous, drew political parallels, noting: "Congress or Rahul Gandhi, who accused the Central Election Commission and BJP of making it difficult for people to search electoral rolls, did exactly the same thing in Karnataka for civic elections."
Discrepancies Between GBA and ECI Databases Add to Confusion
Residents have pointed to troubling discrepancies between the GBA voter list and the Election Commission of India (ECI) database. Ritika Bali, a citizen volunteer working to promote voter awareness and participation, shared her experience with TOI: "I searched for my apartment name in the draft voter list for Bellandur ward under GBA but could not find it. I reviewed multiple polling-station-wise PDF files in detail, however, the process was extremely time-consuming."
Bali further explained: "The files are large, and each must be searched manually, making verification difficult for ordinary citizens. While my EPIC number clearly reflects my voter details on the Election Commission of India (ECI) website, the same information could not be located in the draft voter list. A more citizen-friendly, searchable system would significantly ease verification, help residents raise timely queries and encourage wider public participation in the electoral process."
Many citizens fear that such a complicated and user-unfriendly process could ultimately discourage people from verifying their details altogether, potentially disenfranchising eligible voters.
Official Response and Promised Improvements
Responding to growing concerns, the GBA election department has acknowledged the issues and stated that efforts are currently underway to introduce a search option that will allow voters to easily access their names on the electoral list. The technical team has promised to check and rectify the website problems at the earliest possible opportunity.
As Bengaluru prepares for crucial civic elections, the accessibility and reliability of voter verification systems remain critical components of democratic participation. The current challenges highlight the need for robust digital infrastructure and user-friendly interfaces to ensure every eligible citizen can exercise their voting rights without unnecessary obstacles.
