Bihar’s voter roll overhaul nears completion with 98% compliance, says EC

With the September 1 deadline just days away, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on August 24 that Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is on track to conclude ahead of schedule, recording over 98% compliance from electors in Phase 2.

According to the ECI, documents have been received from 98.2% of voters listed in the state’s draft rolls. The exercise has already enrolled 3,28,847 first-time voters who turned 18 as of July 1, while applications from those set to reach voting age by October 1 have also been filed through Form 6.

“The SIR of Bihar is on schedule,” the poll body said, adding that Electoral Registration Officers and their assistants will scrutinize claims, objections, and supporting documents by September 25.

Bihar currently has 7.89 crore registered electors. During the first phase, conducted between June 25 and July 25, officials collected enumeration forms from 7.24 crore voters. The draft rolls, published on August 1, excluded nearly 65 lakh names that were found to be duplicates, deceased, or untraceable.

The ECI has made additional documentation mandatory for voters added since 2003 — the year of the last intensive revision in Bihar — to confirm eligibility, including proof of citizenship. Electors have until September 1 to submit documents to secure their place in the final rolls, which will be published on September 30.