The problem is made worse because many Booth Level Officers are not from Karnataka and are unable to read the Kannada text.
| Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.
Voters filling out enumeration forms as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) have raised concerns that the physical forms are printed only in Kannada. Although the form can be filled in both English and Kannada, the printed version is available only in Kannada.Many voters said they found it difficult to fill in the form because several terms used in it are technical. Others said that while they understand Kannada, it is not their mother tongue, leaving them unsure about the meaning of several sections. The problem is made worse because many Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are not from Karnataka and are unable to read the Kannada text.The voters questioned how the BLOs are expected to help or even know whether they have filled in the form correctly or understand each question if the officers can’t read or understand Kannada.Many younger residents, in particular, said they are more comfortable reading and writing in English than in Kannada, pointing that forms should be available in both the languages.While the online version of the form is available in English, many said that the BLOs are insisting that voters fill in the physical form instead, especially when people are reporting problems in matching their constituency, and other details as the website is flagging several errors and shows ‘mismatched’ or ‘invalid’ frequently. Published - July 03, 2026 08:50 pm IST
