Karnataka cabinet approves ballots for panchayat, civic polls

Siddaramaiah

Marking a significant change to the way local elections will be conducted, the Karnataka government on Friday approved the proposal of conducting the upcoming civic and panchayat polls with the use of paper ballots rather than electronic voting machines (EVMs)

HK Patil, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said the shift followed persistent public concerns about voting technology.

“There has been a consistent demand and a visible erosion of credibility and confidence in EVMs. To ensure that the democratic process remains transparent and trusted by every citizen, the Cabinet has recommended reverting to ballot papers,” Patil reasoned.

The decision, cleared at a state cabinet meeting led by chief minister Siddaramaiah, applies to elections for the Greater Bengaluru Authority and for rural local bodies, including Zilla Panchayats and Taluk Panchayats. Ministers described the move as an effort to reinforce public trust in the electoral process.

The decision covers both urban and rural tiers of governance, including Bengaluru’s civic administration, and marks a structural alteration in voting procedures at these levels. State officials framed the shift as procedural, tied to election administration rather than broader electoral reforms.

Additionally the Cabinet discussion on the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka by the Election Commission of India was inconclusive. More information was sought on the role of the state government in the exercise.

The Karnataka Cabinet also approved the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to ensure that ballots will be used in elections to rural local bodies, as the same has been proposed for urban local bodies, especially the five corporations under Greater Bengaluru Authority.