Bengaluru Civic Polls After May 25, Ballot Papers To Replace EVMs

Elections to the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be held after May 25 using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines, Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi said on Monday.

He said the polls would be conducted after the conclusion of SSLC and PUC examinations and before June 30, in line with the Supreme Court’s direction last week to complete Bengaluru’s local body elections by that date.

"Elections will be held tentatively after May 25, after SSLC (class 10) and PUC (class 11 and 12) examinations are over, and before June 30," Sangreshi said.

Addressing reporters, the commissioner said the GBA elections would be held with ballot papers, adding that the law allows elections to be conducted either through ballot papers or EVMs.

"There are two best practices to hold elections, ballot papers were being used since the beginning, but since 20-30 years ago EVMs are being used. Use of ballot papers is not barred by law or by the judgements of the Supreme Court," he said.

He said zilla and taluk panchayat polls, expected later this year, would also be conducted using ballot papers.

Sangreshi rejected suggestions that the decision was taken under government pressure, stressing that the State Election Commission is an independent constitutional body with the discretion to choose the voting method.

"Using ballot papers is a choice. The SEC after considering what is good in the present scenario, after discussion and thinking, felt that use of ballot papers is appropriate. Most of those voting, since the last 20-30 years ago (in Bengaluru) have not seen ballot papers as EVMs are being used. Ballot paper is also a best practice, and throughout the world it is appreciated," he said.

"Using ballot papers doesn't mean going back to old age. Ballot papers are still being used in several of our elections like Gram Panchayat, cooperative and MLC polls," he added.

Noting that the Supreme Court has upheld EVMs but has not barred ballot papers, Sangreshi said the GBA Act specifically provides for elections through ballot papers.

"When there is an act, why shouldn't we use it?" he said, adding that officials were fully equipped to conduct the polls on time and that security arrangements, including webcasting, CCTV surveillance and adequate police deployment, would be in place to prevent rigging. "I think, there will be no hurdle to conduct the polls using ballot papers," he said, adding that "Everything will be taken care of."

The term of the previous elected body under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, after which the civic body has been run by an administrator. In September 2025, Bengaluru was reorganised into five municipal corporations — Central, East, West, North and South — under the GBA.

Separately, GBA Special Election Commissioner R Ramachandran said a total of 88,91,411 voters feature in the ward-wise draft voters’ list across the five corporations, covering 369 wards. The list includes 45,69,193 male voters, 43,20,583 female voters and 1,635 others, with October 1, 2025 as the base date.

He said Booth Level Officers would visit households from January 20 to February 3, during which claims and objections could be filed. These will be disposed of between February 4 and 18, and the final electoral roll will be published on March 16.

Ward number 23 of the Bengaluru West Municipal Corporation has the highest number of voters at 49,530, while ward number 16 of the Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation has the lowest at 10,926. A total of 8,044 polling booths will be set up across the 369 wards.

(with PTI inputs)