With not even 20 days left for the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, civil society groups have submitted two letters to the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V. Anbu Kumar highlighting that the confusion over the exercise is resulting in enumeration forms being filled incorrectly, while Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are working under intense pressure without proper training and support.

The groups have also demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) extend the enumeration deadline by at least three months, arguing that the current 30-day timeline risks wrongful exclusion of eligible voters. 

In the letter, the group contended that contrary to the CEO’s recent statement that voters unable to map themselves to the 2002 electoral rolls are “the rarest of the rare” cases, the issue is far more widespread. It claimed several voters who have been voting since 2002 have been unable to trace their names in the 2002 rolls despite possessing voter identity cards from that period. Others, it said, have been unable to locate their parents or grandparents in the 2002 rolls, making it difficult to complete the mapping process. 

In another letter where groups including ‘My Vote, My Right’ raised concerns regarding BLOs, the groups noted that at least four of these officers died during the first week of the SIR exercise, demanding compensation for the families. The groups further criticised the issuance of show-cause notices to 35 BLOs for distributing enumeration forms in bulk, arguing that it was not feasible for a single BLO to personally visit 1,000-1,500 voters within the 30-day enumeration period. 

Published - July 14, 2026 07:15 pm IST