Others are discovering discrepancies in previous rolls. I didn’t have a voter ID card in 2002 since I was a minor,” said Durga K S, a health official. “I’m struggling because I require my father’s details. He doesn’t remember the booth he voted in, and it seems his name was misspelled then, which makes the search more difficult.”
Intervention by authorities
To ease the burden, authorities have begun organising dedicated SIR help camps. Here, BLOs guide people through the online search system and assist in identifying 2002 records.
“We held the first of the series of camps on Tuesday. Many more will be held in the coming days,” said Remya Nandanan, BLO in charge of Panangad. Reassuring voters, she said that there is ample time to complete the process. “Voters needn’t panic. They need to update their data only by May, before the assembly election. But, sooner the better.”If a voter’s 2002 data cannot be traced, the ECI may send a notice for further verification. In some cases, the name may be withheld from the draft electoral roll until supporting documents establish eligibility.
The most common issues faced by voters and their solutions
What if voter has no recollection of booth name while retrieving 2002 data online?
A. Log on to www.ceo.kerala.gov.in. Select your district and choose your LAC. Skip the ‘Booth Name’ box and go straight to ‘Voter Name’. The name is to be entered in Malayalam. Those who are not well versed with the language can select the link given at the bottom of the page. You can type in English and the Google Tool will give the corresponding Malayalam word.
How to deal with changes in administrative boundaries due to delimitation?
A. The SIR form will have the contact number of BLO at the top. Ring up and confirm under which LAC you now fall before starting to take the previous SIR data online
