BLOs could use an app to check whether a voter appeared more than once in the roll, but it worked only on Karnataka’s database
Bengaluru: A tool that helps spot duplicate voters could not catch those enrolled in other states during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka , election officials told TOI. But it worked only on Karnataka’s database — or those enrolled within Karnataka — chief electoral officer K Anbukkumar said. During enumeration, booth-level officers (BLOs) could use an app to check whether a voter appeared more than once in the roll. The tool matched voters by their photos and details such as name, age, gender, relative’s name and address.
However, not all 5.5 crore voters were cross-checked centrally, and only some BLOs used the tool although all had access to it. One Bengaluru BLO who used it found about 10 duplicates in her booth. It flagged 15 lakh in 2025 and over 30 lakh in 2022-23, leading to some deletions, an official said. SIR screened 5.5 crore voters in the state and deleted nearly 1 crore.
The gap came to light when a couple from Bihar was reported to hold voter IDs in both Bihar and Karnataka. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in Bengaluru Stay updated with the latest Bengaluru news.
Officials said the tool isn’t new; it was used last year and was available for BLOs to use during the SIR. All were duplicates within Karnataka,” she said. Voters from outside the state could have been caught only at the notice stage, she said. The Hebbal electoral registration officer, who knew of the case, said they were residents of the city but could not give full details. “There is no provision yet to check other states’ databases,” an official said.
“These voters had given their phone numbers, so I called and asked which ID they wanted to keep. They had moved houses and forgotten to delete the old ID. “That would happen only if they got a notice and did not turn up. The tool has found lakhs of duplicates in the past. Why it cannot be used to check rolls from other states is not clear. Officials believe ECI may be waiting for SIR to finish nationwide before cross-checking crores of names. Until then, BLOs and their discretion remain the main safeguard against ineligible voters. Download the TOI App.