Deceased, relocated, and duplicate names removed as 88% of voters verified; ECINet and door-to-door surveys power statewide overhaul.
New Delhi: 15 July 2025
Bihar Voter Rolls Get Major Cleanup: 35.6 Lakh Ineligible Names Removed Ahead of Polls
In a sweeping move to ensure cleaner elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has removed over 35.6 lakh ineligible entries from Bihar’s voter rolls during its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive.
The review process has led to the removal of 12.55 lakh dead voters, 17.37 lakh people who are permanently absent from the state and 5.76 lakh duplicate registrations. With assembly elections approaching, the EC has now verified 88% of Bihar’s 7.90 crore registered voters using a mix of manual and digital resources.
Almost 1 lakh BLOs and 1.5 lakh political party agents conducted doorstep surveys to verify voter identity. The EC has introduced a new digital platform: ECINet and this platform has been instrumental in processing in excess of 5.74 crore forms and allow citizens to check their status and upload documents through the digital portal.
To reach all eligible voters, the EC has set up verification camps in all 5,683 urban wards and is running awareness campaigns in newspapers and on social media targeting migrant workers.
While some opposition parties have raised the spectre of exclusions, the EC claims the drive is essential for weeding out bogus votes and protecting elections. The draft voter list will be published on August 1st which is an important milestone in the pre-election process.
