BLOs to deliver voter slips door to door ahead of Bengal assembly elections

Voters in West Bengal will receive their voter information slips at home ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, ending the long-standing need to download slips online or rely on political party workers.

Under new directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI), Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will personally distribute voter slips to electors at their doorsteps. The move follows a recommendation from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, and is aimed at making the voting process simpler and more transparent.

According to officials in the CEO’s office, the door-to-door distribution of voter slips is already mandated under electoral rules, but the practice has largely fallen into disuse in the state since 2011. The Commission now wants to strictly enforce the requirement.

“The revival of this process will ease the burden on voters and reduce dependence on intermediaries,” a senior official said. “It will also ensure greater accountability in the dissemination of electoral information.”

The official added that voters who do not receive their slips will be able to directly contact their respective BLOs to obtain them, ensuring that no eligible elector is left without the necessary details to cast their vote.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has again urged the West Bengal government to release pending payments to electoral staff involved in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. A reminder has been sent to the Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, seeking immediate disbursement of remuneration owed to BLOs, BLO supervisors, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs).

This marks the third communication from the Commission on the issue, following earlier letters sent in August and December last year.

With IANS inputs