Over 65 lakh voters dropped after Special Intensive Revision in Bihar

The number of voters in Bihar has dropped by 65 lakh, according to Bihar’s draft electoral roll, which was published by the Election Commission on Friday (August 1, 2025) after the completion of the first phase of its Special Intensive Revision exercise.

More than 7.24 crore electors in the State filled up enumeration forms and have been included in the draft roll, the ECI said in a statement. There were 7.89 crore voters registered in the 2025 electoral list before the SIR exercise.

The poll body appealed to all eligible voters to check their names in the draft list, which is available on the ECI portal. If their names are not on the list, they have been asked to fill and submit Form 6 along with the declaration form specified in the SIR instructions, the ECI said.

No State-wide compiled list was made available, but booth-wise lists of all the 90,712 polling booths of all 243 Assembly constituencies have been shared with all political parties by the State’s 38 Deputy Electoral Officers (DEO).

Claims and objections

Young first time voters, who have completed 18 years on July 1 or are going to turn 18 by October 1, should also get their name added to the electoral roll by filling Form 6, the ECI said.

Over the next month, the ECI will invite claims and objections by voters on exclusions and inclusions in the list.

“In the one-month period from August 1 to September 1, any elector or political party can file claims and objections in a prescribed form before the ERO to add the name of any eligible elector or to delete the name of any ineligible one,” the ECI statement said.

Documents still needed

The names included in the draft list are of all those who filled up the enumeration forms. They are still required to submit proof of residence and birth unless they have already done so, using the list of 11 documents which the ECI had listed in the SIR rules. Neither Aadhaar nor voter ID cards are in the list of eligible documents.

As per SIR orders, no name can be deleted from the draft electoral roll by the concerned ERO/AERO without giving a hearing to the elector and subsequently passing a written order. Such an order can be appealed before the District Magistrate and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar.

Opposition parties have dubbed the SIR as an effort to bring in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) through a “backdoor” process. They have approached the Supreme Court in the matter, along with several civil society groups. The top court had suggested to the ECI, that it consider Aadhaar and Voter ID cards as proof as well. The next date of hearing has been fixed for August 12.

The poll body credited the Bihar CEO, and DEOs of all 38 districts; Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) of all 243 Assembly constituencies; 2,976 AEROs; Booth Level Officers (BLO) of 90,712 polling booths, lakhs of volunteers and the 1.60 lakh Booth Level Agents nominated by the State’s 12 major political parties for carrying out the first phase work.