Voter facilitation centers across Karnataka are witnessing growing crowds to submit census forms under the special intensified revision of electoral rolls, leaving many applicants waiting for hours to complete the formalities and raising complaints about inadequate assistance at several locations, officials said on Wednesday.
Voters gathered at facilitation centers to trace their names and the names of their family members on the 2002 electoral roll, complete census forms and seek guidance on the documents required to submit them. The increase in footfall has stretched available resources, with many applicants claiming that cabin level staff are unable to meet the needs of everyone seeking assistance.
Many voters said that identifying details from the 2002 electoral roll had become the most time-consuming part of the process, while the limited availability of officials added to the delay. “I have been standing here for almost three hours. I came to trace my family details in the 2002 electoral register and submit the census form, but there are very few people who can guide us. Every counter has a long queue, and many of us are leaving without clearing our doubts,” said a voter who was waiting at the voter facilitation center in Cook Town.
The review process began on June 30 and will continue until July 29. The Election Commission has deployed over 59,000 booth-level staff across Karnataka to conduct house-to-house verification and collect census forms from over 5.5 crore voters. Voter Facilitation Centers have been established to assist those who need assistance with this process.
As confusion continues over the recovery of old electoral records, Karnataka’s chief electoral officer, V Anbukumar, last week appealed to voters not to delay submitting their forms while searching for historical information.
“Submit the signed census form with the available information. This will ensure that your name is included in the electoral roll,” Anbukumar said, adding that any remaining details can be submitted later if necessary.
The Election Commission also initiated disciplinary proceedings against some field officials during this process. Last week, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer issued show-cause notices to 35 booth-level employees after verifying complaints that some were distributing forms in groups instead of making mandatory house-to-house visits as required under Election Commission guidelines.
The implementation of the revision also raised objections from elected representatives. In a report before the Election Commission, MLC chief Ramesh Babu asserted that the number of voter facilitation centers was not sufficient to meet public demand. “Many eligible households have not yet received the census forms,” he said, urging the commission to ensure that administrative shortcomings do not lead to voters being excluded from the electoral roll.
Electoral authorities have confirmed the audit is going according to schedule and have continued to urge voters to participate even if they cannot immediately retrieve details from the 2002 electoral roll. Officials said documentation issues could be addressed during the audit after forms are submitted.
The committee also recognized the demands placed on officials carrying out redaction. On Tuesday, it agreed to grant a one-time bonus $6,000 each to cabin level officers and BLO supervisors participating in the special intensive review exercise.
As queues grow longer across voter facilitation centres, election officials are working to complete one of the largest election validation exercises in Karnataka before the application window closes later this month.
