CEO Sudharsan Reddy Orders Hyderabad BLOs Not To Demand Physical Voter Forms

Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy has directed booth-level officers (BLOs) in Hyderabad not to demand physical Enumeration Forms from voters who have already submitted their forms online. The directive aims to reduce confusion among voters, streamline the registration process, and ensure that online submissions are officially recognized without requiring redundant physical paperwork.

The instruction was issued via an official memo after the Chief Electoral Officer’s office received multiple complaints from voters. Some BLOs had reportedly told residents that their names might not appear in the draft electoral roll if they failed to submit physical copies of the forms, despite having completed the process online.

To address the confusion, the Chief Electoral Officer’s official X handle released a digital brochure clarifying that voters can choose either online or offline modes to submit their Enumeration Forms. Online submissions can be completed through the Election Commission’s website, voters.eci.gov.in. For offline submissions, BLOs are instructed to provide voters with two copies of the Enumeration Form to fill out.

Despite these official clarifications, confusion has persisted among local residents, with some attributing the issue to misinformation circulating on social media.

One Hyderabad voter, Mohammed Bin Tayyab, reported that he submitted online enumeration forms for his wife and son and received acknowledgements, but local BLOs still insisted on physical copies. He noted that social media influencers were spreading similar claims, causing uncertainty about the correct procedure.

The issue was also brought to the attention of election authorities by P. Rajesh Kumar, the chairman of the PCC’s Election Commission Coordination Committee. Kumar stated that the issue was flagged after multiple instances of BLOs seeking physical forms despite online submission.

Election officials have reiterated that voters only need to follow one mode of submission, either online or offline, and emphasized that BLOs must strictly adhere to these official guidelines.