SIR: Missing 2002 ‘supplementary rolls’ leave voters unable to verify electoral records
With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) progressing, many voters across the city are unable to verify their electoral records after their Elector’s Photo Identity Card
With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) progressing, many voters across the city are unable to verify their electoral records after their Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers lead them to a different Assembly constituency than the one in which they have been voting for years. While the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) informed voters that their names were “not included” in the main roll but in a “supplementary electoral roll” prepared in 2002, voters said the supplementary roll records are not traceable on the Election Commission’s public service portal. SIR process focussed on exclusion, has played havoc with democracy: former CEC Quraishi A supplementary electoral roll is an additional list published by the Election Commission after the main electoral roll to record additions, corrections or deletions made during a revision.
It is meant to be read together with the main electoral roll, with both forming the complete electoral record for a constituency. In the present case, however, voters said the supplementary roll that officials referred to is not available, leaving them unable to verify their 2002 details. The voters argued that they had raised the issue through the Election Commission’s grievance portal multiple times, but the complaints were closed as “resolved” without any clarification on the missing historical records. The issue, BLOs acknowledged, was largely reported by voters whose EPICs were issued between July and October 2002. For instance, residents from Sultanpalya, Dinnur Road, Manorayanapalya and the surrounding localities said their voter identity cards issued in 1995 and 1996 show that they were enrolled in the then Jayamahal Assembly constituency (BMP-AC-87).
The same details continued to be reflected in subsequent electoral rolls. However, EPICs issued to them between July and October 2002 mention the Yelahanka Assembly constituency (BMP-AC-88) instead. Although they continue to be in the 2026 electoral roll and have received SIR enumeration forms, they said their names cannot be found in the 2002 electoral rolls of either Jayamahal or Yelahanka, despite searching using all possible details, including the part number and serial number. “The EROs told us that this supplementary roll has not been digitised or made available on the Election Commission’s public portal. Then how are we supposed to check?” voters argued, pointing out that the anomaly was in the EPICs issued in 2002, which many did not anticipate would create confusion like this.
The BriefWire