What is the full form of BLO?

A Booth Level Officer (BLO) is a local government or semi-government official who helps maintain accurate voter lists and improve the voter registration process. The BLO is usually a person who lives in the same polling area and knows the local people well. Their main job is to ensure the electoral roll (voter list) is up to date and correct by using their local knowledge.

BLOs act as the representatives of the Election Commission of India (ECI) at the grassroots level. They collect field data and help with updating the voter list for the polling station assigned to them. They play a key role in identifying and removing fake or duplicate voters and adding new eligible voters to the list.

BLOs are appointed under Section 13B(2) of the Representation of People Act, 1950, from among government or semi-government staff. The ECI introduced the concept of BLOs in August 2006 to make the electoral roll more accurate and to ensure clear responsibility at the booth level.

Key Duties of a BLO:

• Helps citizens register to vote and get their voter ID cards.
• Distributes forms for adding, correcting, or deleting names in the voter list.
• Conducts field verification and submits reports to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
• Talks to local residents and political party members to spot fake entries in the voter list.
• Ensures that only genuine and eligible voters are listed.

Over time, BLOs have become an important part of India’s election process, helping make elections more fair and transparent.