The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has raised concerns among Kannadigas living abroad, particularly those working in the Gulf, over the difficulties they may face in responding to SIR notices and establishing their identity and eligibility.

Kerala, which has around 2.15 million people living abroad, had dedicated arrangements for overseas voters during the SIR process through the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. Overseas Indian citizens living with their families abroad were allowed to submit their Enumeration Forms online, while there have also been efforts to facilitate verification of overseas voters through WhatsApp or video calls, enabling their identity and electoral details to be verified without necessarily requiring their physical presence.

Similarly, Telangana, where around 1.5 million people are estimated to be living in Gulf countries and other ECR countries, has allowed an eligible elector living abroad to have their Enumeration Form submitted through an adult family member. The family member can fill in the voter’s details, sign on their behalf and submit it to the Booth Level Officer (BLO). The voter can also submit the form online.

Karnataka, which has around 1.3 million Kannadigas living abroad, also needs to consider similar practical arrangements for its overseas voters, particularly those who receive SIR notices and may find it difficult to travel to India solely for the verification process.

The issue is particularly significant in coastal Karnataka. Large numbers of people from the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada have been migrating to Gulf countries for employment for decades. Their contribution to the state’s economy and to their families back home is substantial.

When such a large overseas population is required to respond to SIR notices, the authorities need to consider whether insisting on physical presence could place an unnecessary burden on eligible voters.

In Bhatkal, a coastal town in Uttara Kannada, around 10,000 people are working in Gulf countries, while 13,681 voters have received notices because their names could not be mapped with the previous electoral records of 2002. If overseas voters are among those receiving the notices, travelling from places such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, Kuwait, Muscat or Manama merely to attend an electoral hearing could impose considerable financial and employment-related difficulties.

As part of the SIR exercise, notices are being issued to 4,381,006 voters across Karnataka in cases involving logical discrepancies or where names could not be mapped with the 2002 electoral records.

Claims and objections can be filed until September 23, 2026, while the disposal process will continue until October 22, and the final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on October 27.

The Election Commission’s objective of ensuring accurate electoral rolls is important, but eligible overseas voters should also be given a practical way to protect their electoral status.

Karnataka could consider video-based verification, online hearings, or allowing an adult family member to appear before the ERO/AERO and submit the required documents.

With around 1.3 million Kannadigas living abroad, the demand is straightforward: overseas voters in Karnataka should be provided a practical mechanism to respond to SIR notices without being compelled to return to India solely for the verification process.