Bengaluru, 7 September

Civil society group Jagruta Karnataka has appealed to the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, to allow family members or authorised representatives to appear before electoral officials on behalf of voters living abroad who have received notices for hearings under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

In a representation dated 7 September, the organisation said several voters working abroad had submitted their enumeration forms online but would find it difficult to travel to India for hearings due to employment commitments, travel costs and other practical constraints.

It urged the Election Commission to allow immediate family members or authorised representatives to submit documents to the ERO/AERO on behalf of overseas voters. It also sought video conferencing facilities for voters to attend hearings remotely and an online mechanism to submit required documents and clarifications.

Jagruta Karnataka further requested that the time available to prepare and submit documents be extended to at least one month, saying eligible voters should not lose their voting rights merely because they reside abroad.