In a groundbreaking achievement, Bihar has become the first state in India to ensure all its polling stations have fewer than 1,200 electors, a move aimed at eliminating long queues and enhancing voter convenience.
As per the Special Instruction Report (SIR) order dated June 24, 2025, the previous ceiling of 1,500 electors per polling station has been revised to 1,200. To achieve this, Bihar added 12,817 new polling stations, bringing the total to 90,712 from the earlier 77,895. This milestone sets a precedent for other states and Union Territories to follow, ensuring a smoother and more accessible voting process.
The state’s election machinery has also taken significant steps to refine its electoral rolls. As of June 24, 2025, Bihar’s total elector count stands at 7,89,69,844. Of these, 7,16,03,218 enumeration forms (90.67%) have been received, with 7,08,59,670 (89.73%) digitised. However, 43,92,864 electors (5.56%) could not be traced at their listed addresses, including 16,55,407 deceased, 19,75,231 permanently shifted, 7,50,742 enrolled at multiple places, and 11,484 untraceable electors. This leaves 29,62,762 forms (3.77%) yet to be received, covering 96.23% of the total electors so far.
To ensure no eligible voter is left behind, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), District Election Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have shared detailed lists of these 29.62 lakh pending forms and 43.93 lakh untraceable electors with representatives of 12 major political parties. These parties have been urged to mobilise their District Presidents and approximately 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to connect with these voters, fostering a collaborative effort to finalise the draft electoral roll by August 1, 2025.
Starting August 1, 2025, the public can file objections for additions, deletions, or rectifications in the draft electoral rolls, with a one-month window as mandated by the SIR order. This transparent process underscores Bihar’s commitment to a fair and inclusive electoral system, setting a benchmark for electoral reforms across India.
