SIR: CEO Tells BLOs Not to Insist on Physical Forms After Online Submission

Hyderabad:Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharsan Reddy has directed booth-level officers (BLOs) to follow prescribed norms after complaints that voters who submitted Enumeration Forms online were being asked to also file physical forms.

In a memo, the CEO instructed BLOs not to insist on physical submission where forms had already been filed online and warned against creating confusion among voters.

The CEO’s office received complaints that such insistence had caused concern among voters, with some BLOs reportedly stating that names may not appear in the draft electoral roll if physical forms were not submitted.

The CEO’s official X handle also issued a clarification through a digital brochure stating that voters could choose either online or offline modes to submit Enumeration Forms. It said online submissions could be made through the Election Commission’s website voters.eci.gov.in, while offline submission would involve assistance from BLOs. “The BLO will provide you with two copies of the Enumeration Form,” it explained.

Despite the clarification, confusion persisted among voters, with some attributing it to misinformation on social media.

A voter, Mohammed Bin Tayyab, said he had submitted forms online for family members but was still being asked to provide physical copies. “I submitted my wife’s and son’s enumeration forms online and received acknowledgements. However, the local BLOs are now insisting that we submit physical enumeration forms as well. Several social media influencers are also saying the same. What should I do?,” he asked.

The chairman of the PCC’s Election Commission Coordination Committee, P. Rajesh Kumar, said the issue had been brought to the notice of election authorities after multiple instances of BLOs seeking physical forms despite online submission.

Officials have reiterated that voters need to follow only one mode of submission and that BLOs must adhere to the guidelines.