Bihar's Electoral Roll Revision: Over 32 Lakh Voters Yet to Submit Forms
Bihar's Voter Enumeration Update
As the deadline of July 25 approaches, more than 3.2 million voters in Bihar have not yet submitted their enumeration forms, according to the Election Commission's report released on Saturday.
The commission noted that out of a total of 78,969,844 registered voters in Bihar, forms from 71,582,007 electors have been received, representing 90.64% of the electorate. Additionally, 5.27% of voters could not be located at their registered addresses, with 1.81% likely deceased, 2.5% having moved permanently, 0.95% registered in multiple locations, and 0.01% untraceable.
Currently, 3,223,023 voters, or 4.08% of the total, have yet to submit their forms.
The Election Commission announced the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar on June 24.
Under this initiative, individuals whose names do not appear on the 2003 voter list must provide proof of their eligibility to vote.
Voters born before July 1, 1987, are required to present evidence of their date and place of birth, while those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must submit documentation 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. Conversely, those who fail to meet the requirements will be removed from the rolls.
A draft of the revised rolls will be published on August 1, with the final version expected by September 30. Bihar is anticipated to hold Assembly elections in October or November.
On July 2, eleven parties from the INDIA bloc expressed concerns to the Election Commission, warning that the revision process could disenfranchise over 25 million voters who may struggle to provide the necessary documentation.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar defended the revision process on July 6, stating that it was essential as there was widespread dissatisfaction with the existing voter rolls.