On November 16, TNM in a joint investigation with the Kannada outlet Pratidvani had exposed a massive voter data theft being carried out in the city by a private NGO. The NGO, Chilume Educational, Cultural and Rural Development Institute, had deployed hundreds of field workers posing as election officials to illegally collect data from citizens. The NGO was enabled by the BBMP through government orders to spread voter awareness ahead of the elections in the state. Chilume is also linked with an election management company through one of its directors and runs a mobile application called Digital Sameeksha, which was used by the field workers to upload the data collected.
Meanwhile, as a result of the joint investigation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) called for a review of the voter lists in three Bengaluru constituencies — Shivajinagar, Chickpet, and Mahadevapura — on November 25. The ECI also added an additional 15 days to the window for claims and objections regarding the updation of electoral registers in certain constituencies. Originally, the window for raising complaints was supposed to be from November 9 until December 8.
If you’re a resident of Shivajinagar, Chickpet or Mahadevapura, here’s how to check if your name is on the Draft Electoral Rolls:
Step 1: Go to https://ceo.karnataka.gov.in/en
Step 2: Click on ‘Special Summary Revision’ and select Draft Electoral Roll - 2023
Step 3: Select your district, followed by your respective assembly constituency and polling station.
If you do not know your polling station, you can search it on https://electoralsearch.in/
Step 4: Search your name in the draft list with the EPIC (Electoral Photo ID Card) number or the serial number.
If you find that your name is not included in the list, you have to register yourself as a new voter. You can do so either offline or online. To enroll offline, collect Form 6 from your Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Booth Level Officer (BLO). You can send the form back by post or submit it yourself to the ERO of your assembly constituency. Alternatively, you can also download Form 6 online and submit it to the ERO. The forms can be downloaded by visiting https://ceo.karnataka.gov.in/20/download-forms/en.
To submit forms online, here’s how:
Step 1: Visit https://www.nvsp.in/. If you have an account, login. If not, register as a new user.
Step 2: Click on ‘Register as a New Elector/Voter’
Step 3: Select ‘Form 6’
Step 4: Fill the required fields and submit.
TNM had published another investigation on how a group of people posing as government officials in Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar had collected sensitive voters’ data. The residents had alleged that these people, who claimed to be BLO, had turned up at their homes in the third week of October on the pretext of updating the voter’s list. Residents in Mahadevapura constituency had also alleged that people posing as government officials had collected their personal information on the pretext of revision of electoral rolls.
With the Karnataka state elections fast approaching, more than 91 lakh citizens are registered to vote in Bengaluru alone as per the Draft Electoral Roll 2023. Out of them, as many as 1,91,728 are registered in Shivajinagar. The publication of final electoral rolls is scheduled to take place on January 5, 2023.