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Bengaluru Civic Polls to Use Ballot Papers, State EC Releases Draft Voter Rolls

The Karnataka State Election Commission has announced that the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority civic polls will be conducted using ballot papers, not Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). State Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi defended the move, citing legal provisions and noting that even developed countries use paper ballots. The commission has released draft electoral rolls containing over 88.9 lakh voters across 369 wards in five city corporations. Citizens have from January 20 to February 3 to verify their inclusion and submit claims or objections before the final rolls are published on March 16.

Key Points: Karnataka to Hold Bengaluru Civic Polls with Ballot Papers

  • Elections after May 25
  • Ballot papers instead of EVMs
  • Draft rolls list 88.9 lakh voters
  • Verification from Jan 20 to Feb 3
  • 369 wards across 5 city corporations
3 min read

Karnataka: Greater Bengaluru Authority elections to be held using ballot papers, State EC releases draft rolls

Greater Bengaluru Authority elections post-May 25 to use ballot papers, not EVMs. Draft rolls list 88.9 lakh voters. Verify names by Feb 3.

"It is not prohibited. We are doing it. Even developed countries like the United States conduct elections using ballot papers. - GS Sangreshi"

Bengaluru, January 19

The civic body elections for the Greater Bengaluru Authority would be held after May 25, using ballot papers instead of EVMs, Karnataka Chief Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi announced on Monday.

The last GBA elections were held in 2015, using EVMs. The State Election Commission stated that the law permits the use of ballot papers.

Sangreshi said, "It is not prohibited. We are doing it. Even developed countries like the United States conduct elections using ballot papers. In India, only MP and MLA elections are held using EVMs."

"There could be several reasons. Once the State Election Commission takes a stand after consulting all stakeholders, we make a decision," he added.

Chief Election Commissioner Sangreshi also cited Supreme Court observations to defend the move, saying that the apex court has stated that there is nothing wrong with conducting elections using ballot papers. He said, "There is a provision to use ballot papers in the GBA elections."

The draft electoral rolls for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) polls were also published today. According to a press release, the State Election Commissioner advised citizens to verify whether their names are included in the draft electoral rolls and, if not found, to immediately submit applications in the prescribed forms to get their names included.

All citizens aged 18 years and above should ensure that their names are included in the electoral rolls, stated GS Sangreshi during a joint press conference held today at Meeting Hall-1, GBA Head Office.

The ward-wise draft electoral rolls of the five City Corporations under the jurisdiction of the Greater Bengaluru Authority include a total of 88,91,411 voters.

Speaking to the media, he stated that elections will be conducted under the GBA jurisdiction covering five City Corporations, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru East, and Bengaluru West, comprising a total of 369 wards.

The draft electoral rolls have been prepared with October 1, 2025, as the qualifying date. The rolls include 45,69,193 male voters, 43,20,583 female voters, and 1,635 other voters, totalling 88,91,411 voters, he explained.

From January 20 to February 3, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households for verification. During this period, citizens will have the opportunity to submit claims and objections, he said.

The disposal of claims and objections will be carried out from February 4 to February 18, and the final electoral rolls will be published on March 16, he added.

Among all wards, Ward No. 23 of Bengaluru West City Corporation has the highest number of voters with 49,530, while Ward No. 16 of Bengaluru East City Corporation has the lowest number of voters with 10,926. A total of 8,044 polling stations will be set up across the 369 wards, he informed.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good move! Transparency is key. If developed nations like the US use ballot papers, why can't we? EVMs, for all their speed, have always had questions around their tamper-proof nature. Let's go back to basics where every vote is physically verifiable. 👍
S
Sarah B
The most important thing is that everyone checks the draft rolls! 88 lakh+ voters is a huge number. Please, all Bengalureans, take 5 minutes to verify your name. Don't complain later if you can't vote.
V
Vikram M
The logistics will be a nightmare. Managing and storing millions of paper ballots, then counting them manually? It will take days for results. Our city already struggles with infrastructure. This seems like an unnecessary complication.
A
Ananya R
As long as the process is fair and my vote counts, I don't mind the method. But the timing after May 25 is too far! Our local issues need attention now. Hope the elected body actually works on fixing our roads and garbage. 🤞
K
Karthik V
Interesting data point: Ward 23 has over 49k voters while Ward 16 has only ~11k. That's a massive disparity in voter representation. Shouldn't there be a more equitable delimitation of wards first? The vote of someone in Ward 16 carries more weight.

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