Bihar's Electoral Roll Revision Sees High Participation Amid Concerns

High Voter Engagement in Bihar's Electoral Roll Revision

In Bihar, approximately 80.11% of eligible voters have submitted their enumeration forms as part of the ongoing special intensive revision of the electoral rolls, according to the Election Commission's announcement on Saturday.

Out of the total 6.32 crore forms collected by 6 PM on Saturday, booth-level officers have successfully digitized and uploaded 4.66 crore onto the commission's ECINET mobile application, the poll panel reported.

The Election Commission anticipates that the collection of enumeration forms will be finalized well ahead of the July 25 deadline.

This revision process was initiated by the Election Commission on June 24.

As part of this initiative, individuals not listed in the 2003 voter registry must provide proof of their eligibility to vote. This requirement affects approximately 2.9 crore of the state's 7.8 crore voters, equating to about 37% of the electorate.

Voters born before July 1, 1987, are required to present proof of their date and place of birth, while those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must submit documents verifying the date and place of birth of at least one parent. For individuals born after December 2, 2004, proof of date of birth for themselves and both parents is necessary.

If electoral registration officers find the provided information satisfactory, voters will be re-enrolled in a new voter list; otherwise, they will be removed from the rolls.

A draft of the revised roll is set to be published on August 1, with the final version expected by September 30.

On July 2, eleven parties from the INDIA bloc expressed concerns to the Election Commission, warning that the revision could disenfranchise over 2.5 crore voters who may struggle to provide the required documentation.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar defended the revision process on July 6, stating that it was necessary due to widespread dissatisfaction with the current voter rolls.

He assured that efforts are being made to assist voters in completing their documentation during this revision. Existing voters will have the opportunity to submit their documents even after initially submitting their Enumeration Forms.

On July 10, the Supreme Court urged the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards, and ration cards as valid documentation for the electoral roll revision. The court is scheduled to hear the case again on July 28.