Telangana voters can check SIR notices online
HYDERABAD: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made Special Intensive Revision (SIR) notices available online for voters in Telangana, providing an alternative to receiving notices directly from Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
During the SIR process for revision of electoral rolls, notices are being issued to voters whose names appear in the anomalies list or draft electoral roll but whose details are incomplete, incorrect or unsupported by required identity documents.
Earlier, BLOs were required to personally deliver such notices at voters’ homes, which caused difficulties in some cases. The ECI has now directed state election authorities to upload the notices online.
Accordingly, the notices have been made available on the Chief Electoral Officer, Telangana website. Voters can also use the ECI’s official voter portal to check whether a notice has been issued in their name.
How voters can check SIR notices online
Voters must first select their Assembly constituency and then the polling station covering their area of residence. They can then select the option relating to SIR notices.
If the voter is already registered, the notice can be searched using the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number.
If a notice has been issued in the voter’s name, it will mention the reason for issuing the notice, the date of hearing, and details of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) and the concerned BLO.
Voters should examine the notice and submit the required supporting documents.
The ECI has also provided an anomalies list online. It contains details of the discrepancies identified against individual voters. Voters can use the list to check whether a notice is likely to be issued in their case.
Election officials have advised voters who receive notices not to ignore them and to examine them immediately.
If a notice is not visible online, voters can obtain the details from the local BLO or from the ERO or AERO concerned with their Assembly constituency.
Voters can submit documents and replies online
Voters should first read the reason mentioned in the notice carefully. They must then prepare documents to establish that their electoral details are correct.
The response should include the voter’s name, EPIC number, current address, mobile number and other personal details.
Voters should also provide identity and address proof, such as Aadhaar, along with documents establishing their date of birth.
If details from an earlier electoral roll are available, copies of those records should also be submitted. Where required, voters may have to provide supporting documents relating to the electoral details of family members.
If a voter locates the notice on the ECI portal, the system allows the required details and documents to be submitted online. The ECI’s current voter portal also provides a specific facility to submit documents against an SIR notice.
The documents can also be uploaded through the ECINET mobile app using the details mentioned in the notice.
Election officials, however, have advised voters to hand over photocopies of the documents uploaded online to the concerned BLOs as an additional precaution.
Officials have also cautioned that voters could face difficulties if the documents or details are not uploaded completely online.
