As the Special Intensive Revision begins in Telangana next month, mistakes by Booth Level Officers could lead to unnecessary notices and voter record issues.

Hyderabad and other districts in Telangana are preparing for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls scheduled for April. As the exercise approaches, election officials and voters are being urged to ensure that the process is carried out carefully to avoid errors that could affect voter records.

The SIR process, overseen by the Election Commission of India, is now largely digital, using AI-based software and online forms. However, the shift to a technology-driven system has posed challenges for some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), particularly those less familiar with digital tools. In previous phases conducted in several states and Union Territories, confusion over certain rules led to mistakes that triggered unnecessary notices to voters.

One common issue involved mapping voters to relatives listed in older electoral rolls. If a voter’s name appears in the 2002 list, the verification process is straightforward. If not, individuals can link their records through relatives whose names appear in the older rolls.

During earlier SIR phases, some BLOs mapped all children to a single parent, usually the father, even when both parents were listed. When more than six voters were linked to one individual, the system automatically generated alerts and notices. Election experts say such situations can be avoided by distributing the mapping across both parents when applicable.

Another area of confusion involved linking voters to grandparents. Despite guidelines allowing connections through either paternal or maternal grandparents, some officials reportedly rejected entries linked to maternal grandparents. Election authorities have clarified that the rules permit linking through father, mother, maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother, paternal grandfather and paternal grandmother.

For voters, the upcoming revision is a reminder to check their electoral records carefully and ensure that the information submitted is accurate. Officials advise residents to report discrepancies to higher authorities if guidelines are not followed and to consider completing the enumeration process online where possible.

With elections relying on accurate voter rolls, even minor procedural errors can create complications later. Ensuring clarity among BLOs and awareness among voters will be key to preventing avoidable disruptions to voting rights during the revision process.