The Election Commission of India has clarified that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are under no obligation to use official stamps when collecting voter verification or enumeration forms. This clarification became necessary after confusion spread among residents in parts of North 24 Parganas, particularly in Barasat, where BLOs were reportedly submitting forms without stamps. Many residents feared that the absence of a stamp might result in their applications being marked incomplete or rejected during the preparation of the draft voter list.
The Commission stated that the belief that every form must bear a BLO’s stamp is inaccurate and has contributed to unnecessary anxiety among people. Instead, the mandatory requirement is the signature of the BLO — at least one of the two forms collected must have the officer’s signature for verification purposes. This signature serves as the official acknowledgment of the form’s receipt and validation.
Officials further said that misinformation regarding the stamp requirement was largely spread through word-of-mouth and not based on any official instruction. They urged citizens not to worry about whether a stamp has been applied, as a form signed by the BLO is fully adequate for processing. The clarification is intended to reassure voters and ensure that the ongoing voter list revision process proceeds without confusion or procedural misinterpretation.