Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)
Udupi, Jun 2: The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will commence across Udupi district from June 20, deputy commissioner Swaroopa T K said during a press conference held in Udupi.
Addressing media personnel, DC Swaroopa T K said that the qualifying date for the revision exercise is October 1 and the final electoral roll will be published on October 7.
Explaining the process, she said the SIR involves the preparation of a fresh electoral roll. While many names will be carried forward from the previous intensive revision, new eligible voters added between 2002 and 2025 will also be included. The printing of the 2025 electoral roll, along with the names and contact details of booth level officers (BLOs), will be undertaken from June 20 to June 29. Duplicate copies of the rolls will be printed for distribution.
From June 30, BLOs will begin door-to-door visits to distribute the forms to voters. The house-to-house verification and collection of filled forms will continue until July 29. BLOs will collect the completed forms and upload the details online. Simultaneously, rationalization of polling stations will be carried out, with a target of approximately 1,200 voters per polling station.
The draft electoral roll will be published on August 5. Citizens can file claims and objections from August 5 to September 4. Notices regarding claims and objections will also be issued and disposed of during this period. The final electoral roll will be published on October 7.
DC Swaroopa T K stated that names may be removed from the electoral roll under four categories: deceased persons, absent voters, migrated voters, and duplicate entries. “Our objective is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible person remains on the electoral roll,” she said.
Swaroopa T K informed that 92.55 per cent of electors, including progeny voters, have already been mapped in the district, and the mapping process is still underway. BLOs will visit households up to three times. If a person is unavailable during all three visits, the voter will be marked as absent.
Voters will be required to fill two copies of the form. The BLO will sign one copy and return it to the voter as an acknowledgement. This receipt can be used if the voter’s name does not appear in the electoral roll despite submission of the form.
The deputy commissioner also announced the establishment of two types of facilitation centres. Voter facilitation centres will be set up at every polling booth to assist voters and clarify doubts, while BLO facilitation centres will function in every ward.
To ensure transparency, political parties have been requested to appoint booth level agents (BLAs). Authorized BLAs will be permitted to collect forms from voters. The BLO will sign the duplicate copy, which the BLA must return to the voter as an acknowledgement.
DC Swaroopa T K further stated that electoral rolls will be frozen from June 16 for the purpose of the revision exercise.
Additional deputy commissioner Abid Gadyal and other officials were present at the press conference.