Thiruvananthapuram: The Election Commission has kick-started the process for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala, as part of a nationwide update that will cover 12 states between November and February.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO, Kerala) has directed immediate action to ensure the revision progresses as per the Election Commission’s schedule. District-level political party meetings are to be held within the next two days, followed by BLO-BLA meetings across all polling stations by Sunday. Training for all Booth Level Officers (BLOs) must be completed within three days, and the printing of enumeration forms finalised by November 3.
The guidelines also call for special attention to assist persons with disabilities, promote online voter registration to make the process paperless, and ensure strict adherence to Election Commission timelines. To strengthen the workforce, an additional 6,300 BLOs will be appointed, and Help Desks will be set up in all districts to assist residents and guest workers with voter enrolment and corrections.
The CEO has emphasised that this year’s SIR will focus on digital, transparent, and inclusive processes, ensuring participation from young voters, persons with disabilities, and migrant workers. District Collectors have been asked to monitor the progress closely and submit consolidated performance reports by December 31.
Help desks in all districts
A circular issued on October 28 by Chief Electoral Officer Dr Rathan U Kelkar, IAS, directed all District Election Officers (DEOs) to establish Help Desks within 24 hours to guide the public on enrolment, corrections, deletions, and transpositions in the voter list.
The Help Desks will function initially from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm, with the option to extend operations to 24 hours depending on demand. Each desk will be manned by trained officials, with additional personnel fluent in Hindi and other regional languages to assist migrant workers.
DEOs have also been instructed to widely publicise Help Desk locations and contact numbers through press releases, local media, and social media. They must submit regular performance reports to the CEO’s office every three days during the SIR period.
‘SIR Ambassadors’ to promote voter awareness
In a separate circular, the CEO announced the appointment of “SIR Ambassadors” through Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) in schools and colleges to promote 100% voter registration.
Each institution will nominate two to five active members as ambassadors to raise awareness among students and the public. These ambassadors will work closely with BLOs and receive short online or offline training. Top-performing ambassadors at the state level will receive ₹10,000 each, while the three best-performing ELCs will be honoured on National Voters’ Day with prizes of ₹1 lakh, ₹50,000, and ₹25,000 respectively.
