Karnataka electoral roll revision issues millions of voter notices

The Election Commission is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka and parts of Telangana, a process that has generated over 4.38 million notices due to unmapped records and data discrepancies. In Karnataka, officials have delivered approximately 7.31 lakh notices, leaving over 3.6 million pending. The notices address issues such as mismatches in names or ages and records that could not be mapped to the 2002 electoral roll.

To manage the workload, the commission has appointed hundreds of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs. In Bengaluru South, officials have been directed to initiate criminal cases under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act against individuals found to have duplicate registrations in multiple locations.

While hearings have begun, some citizens have expressed concerns regarding tight deadlines and the requirement to appear in person. In Adilabad, political leaders suggest that the number of anomalies may decrease as voters submit required documentation, such as proof of residence or date of birth, to Booth Level Officers. Hearings are expected to continue through mid-October.