Karnataka gears up for SIR electoral roll overhaul; 58,000 booth-level officers being trained amid pending EC approval

Bengaluru, Karnataka — September 18, 2025 Karnataka is preparing for the rollout of the Standardization and Improvement of the Electoral Rolls (SIR) exercise, which aims to update and clean up voter lists statewide. The process is poised to begin soon, once the Election Commission (EC) gives the green light. Meanwhile, the state has already carried out large-scale preparations, including training 58,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) who will be central to the process. Under the proposed plan, revisions will be based on the 2002 electoral rolls—the last time an intensive revision took place in Karnataka. Documents will be required from those whose addition to electoral rolls occurred after that date. Procedures for different age groups are spelt out: people born before 1987 will need one of twelve specified documents (with Aadhaar accepted as identity proof), those born between 1987 and 2004 need two documents—one for birth details and another belonging to a parent, while those born after 2004 will need documents for both parents and the applicant. If a parent is a foreign national, passport & visa details become necessary. BLOs are being equipped with enumeration kits that include QR-coded forms and handbooks. These kits will assist in house-to-house verification. District Election Officers (DEOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been involved in finalizing training modules and preparing roll datasets. The plan is for these materials to be distributed in the coming week. Preparations are expected to finish by September 25. The SIR rollout is linked with a Supreme Court ruling on the validity of the SIR exercise in Bihar, which will likely influence whether this model becomes standard elsewhere. Karnataka is watching this ruling closely. No changes, deletions, or address-changes will be allowed after the notification of SIR. The exercise also aims to remove invalid entries and ensure that voter lists reflect only eligible voters. The voter list in Karnataka is reportedly around 5.4 crore people. Health authorities in Karnataka have also responded to concerns about recent reports in Kerala of deaths from amoebic meningoencephalitis ("brain-eating amoeba"). Karnataka’s health department has clarified that no such cases have been reported in Karnataka so far, but officials are alert and have issued advisories about avoiding exposure to warm fresh water bodies and ensuring safety in swimming and recreational water use. Further, weather warnings have been issued: Karnataka is expected to receive heavy rains over September 18–19, with a yellow alert declared in around 10 districts. Bengaluru also could see significant rainfall. Residents have been advised to take precautionary measures. Power supply disruptions are expected in some areas, and local authorities are putting contingency plans in place. The SIR exercise is significant politically—updating electoral rolls has effects on voter inclusion, disenfranchisement, and political mobilization. Ensuring transparent, fair and efficient execution will matter, especially since Karnataka is one of many states preparing for future elections where accurate rolls are crucial. As of now, the government claims readiness, but the key is EC’s formal notification. Enrollment materials, verification processes, kits, and officers are in place. The next few days will likely see major operational steps once authorization comes through.