Karnataka’s electoral machinery has moved into the final processing phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, with booth-level officers examining applications for additions, deletions and corrections ahead of the October 22 deadline to dispose of pending claims and objections.
The state received nearly 19.5 lakh applications before the September 23 cut-off. These include 7,86,520 applications through Form 6 for new voter registration, 4,528 Form 6A applications from overseas voters, 58,220 Form 7 applications seeking deletion of names and 10,99,875 Form 8 applications for corrections, change of address or replacement of voter identity cards.
An official from the chief electoral officer’s office told the Times of India that most applications had already been processed and that the remaining forms were expected to be cleared by the end of the week. The disposal process is taking place as the electoral authorities complete notices and hearings connected with the revision exercise.
Form 6 is used to request inclusion in the electoral roll. Form 7 is used to seek deletion of a name, while Form 8 allows voters to correct personal details, shift registration to another address or replace an Elector Photo Identity Card. The distinction is significant for residents who have moved within or between constituencies, as address changes can affect the voter record at both the old and new locations.
A booth-level officer supervisor in Mahadevapura said physical verification of applicants under Forms 6 and 8 had begun. The exercise is being carried out alongside house-to-house verification of documents submitted by voters who received notices. Assistant electoral registration officers in Bengaluru Central also said booth-level officers had begun processing Forms 6 and 8 while the notice and hearing process continued.
The handling of Form 8 applications is also linked to voter deletions from previous addresses. According to a senior official, Karnataka received 58,220 Form 7 applications, and around 80% of these were generated through Form 8 applications when voters sought to shift their registration. This means that a request to register at a new address can automatically create a deletion request at the earlier address.
The process has also involved scrutiny of bulk deletion requests in some constituencies. The deputy commissioners of Bidar and Vijayapura told the Times of India that no notices had been issued to applicants or individuals whose names were challenged in constituencies where attempts at mass deletions through bulk Form 7 applications were reported, because the objections had been withdrawn.
For voters, the immediate significance of the exercise is that applications filed before September 23 remain subject to processing, verification and disposal within the stated schedule. The electoral authorities have until October 22 to complete pending claims and objections, while booth-level verification and hearings continue in the constituencies concerned.
