An ERO from Bengaluru Central said staff were told to accommodate anyone turning up, since many voters had already missed their dates
Bengaluru: The time slot on your SIR notice, it turns out, is more a suggestion than a rule. Across the city, electoral registration officers (EROs) and booth-level officers (BLOs) are hearing cases beyond the printed time, and for many voters that flexibility has come as a relief, even as it strains officials during rush hours.
Vinu Jade, BLA-2 from New Thippasandra, said such accommodations are largely for senior citizens. No one reported any delays or long waiting times,” she said.
Shyam Padhi, a Whitefield resident, told TOI he flagged his unavailability to his BLO, who let a senior family member appear in an earlier slot instead. “Otherwise, one needs to wait for the time slot allotted,” he said, advising voters to check with their BLO since some booths have fewer notices than others. “If you are a family and go together on one of the many slots given to the members, the BLO will accommodate,” he added. Vidya Goggi, a citizen committee member assisting RT Nagar voters, said residents there were allowed to walk in early once their documents were ready.
Even voters who hadn’t received notices yet but spotted their names on the list walked in anyway, and BLOs in some cases let them pick a convenient date. The leeway varies booth to booth, though, and many voters are still expected to stick to their allotted time. Flexibility mainly kicks in when students must leave town early, when multiple family members get separate notices, or when the slot clashes with work. “Our hearing centre has allotted different dates to different booths. The schedule is well planned.