Election Commission: 94.68% of Bihar Voters Registered in Electoral Roll Update

Speedy Summary

• The election Commission of India (ECI) announced on July 18, 2025, that 94.68% of voters in Bihar have been covered under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
• Key findings from SIR:

– Forms received: 90.12%.
– Voters not traceable at addresses: 4.67%.
– Possibly deceased voters: 1.61%.
– Enrolled at multiple places: 0.75%.
– Permanently shifted: 2.3%.

• Lists of unverified or irregular entries are being shared with political parties and booth-level agents (BLAs).
• Political parties can submit up to 50 forms daily through their BLAs to ensure no eligible voter is excluded.
• Draft electoral rolls will be published on August 1, with one month provided for corrections until September 25, after which Final Rolls will be released on September 30.
• Citizens aggrieved by decisions regarding electoral rolls may appeal under Section 24 of the RP Act.

Indian opinion Analysis

The comprehensive revision process undertaken by the Election Commission in Bihar highlights its commitment to maintaining accurate electoral rolls ahead of critical elections in India’s largest democracy. By involving both political parties and local agents in verifying irregular cases like deceased individuals or duplicate registrations, ECI is striving for inclusion while ensuring fairness and openness.

While promising progress has been made with over a majority form submission rate and effective use of technology to rectify errors, challenges remain due to logistical gaps such as addressing permanently shifted or untraceable voters amid an expansive rural setup like Bihar’s. The methodology-spanning verification stages, appeals mechanisms, and open rectification timelines-represents a robust procedural safeguard but underscores the complexity involved in balancing extensive coverage with precision across millions.

Ultimately, this initiative serves not only as a periodic audit for democratic integrity but also as a potential model for refining voting systems nationwide wherever gaps exist.

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