Preparations for the assembly elections in Bihar are in full swing, with rapid progress in updating the voter list. The Election Commission team under Bihar SIR has covered forms for 94.68% of voters, with seven days still left in the outlined period.
The Election Commission is sharing lists of uncollected forms with political parties. So far, forms for 5.2% of voters, totaling 4,110,213, are yet to be received. This means 94.68%, equating to 74,859,631 voters, have submitted their forms.
According to the SIR directive, after the draft electoral roll is published on August 1, 2025, political parties and voters will have a full month to make any necessary corrections.
Opportunity for Public Input
The Election Commission states that SDM-level officers, or Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), will publish the draft electoral roll on August 1, 2025, inviting suggestions and proposals for corrections. Per the SIR order issued on June 24, 2025 (Page 2, Para 7), political parties and the general public have a month to make adjustments or add any omitted names. Recognized parties will receive both printed and digital copies of the draft electoral roll free of charge. The general public can access the roll on the Election Commission’s website. Ultimately, this ensures no eligible voter is left out.
Lists of voters who are potentially deceased, permanently relocated, or have enlisted in multiple places, as well as those who have not returned the EF forms despite multiple BLO visits, will now be shared with district heads of political parties and the 150,000 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) they appoint. This is aimed at verifying each voter’s status by July 25, 2025.
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As per the SIR order, over 150,000 BLAs can certify and submit up to 50 forms daily. This initiative is a testament to the Election Commission’s commitment to ensuring no eligible voter is overlooked.
Claims and objections are expected to be resolved by September 25, 2025, with the final electoral roll being published on September 30, 2025. All recognized political parties will receive print and digital copies of the final roll for free, and it will also be accessible on the Election Commission’s website. If any voter is dissatisfied with an ERO’s decision, they may appeal to the District Magistrate and the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
