Bihar electoral roll revision: How EC’s ‘special’ initiative, first in two decades, is a break from the past

According to EC, Bihar’s draft electoral rolls, as of January 1, 2025, stand at close to 7.96 crore electors.

Poll-bound Bihar is caught in a massive political row after the Election Commission of India’s launch of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state's voter list.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has justified the national poll body's move saying that it is aimed at weeding out “ineligible” and illegal foreign voters and ensuring that no one is left out of the voter list.

The month-long exercise that began on June 25 is progressing on schedule and the draft electoral roll is set to be published on August 1 for corrections, if any. It will end with the publication of the final electoral roll September 30.

This “special intensive revision” of rolls will eventually cover all states and Union Territories, according to the poll panel. The EC has stated that according to the Representation of People Act 1950 and Rule 25 of the Registration of Electoral Rules 1960, the electoral roll must be revised before every election. The SIR was last held in 2003.

What is electoral roll revision?

The electoral roll, also known as the voters' list, is a comprehensive list that includes the names of all eligible voters in a specific jurisdiction. It lists the names of voters irrespective of gender, caste or class.

“The electoral roll is prepared in accordance with the well-defined protocol & procedure and following the principle of natural justice by providing reasonable opportunity to the electors and all stakeholders, political parties in particular,” stated EC.

Under Section 21(3) of The Representation of the People Act, 1950, the EC “may at any time… direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit”.

The revision is conducted with reference to January 1 of the year as qualifying date, in which the roll is finally published. During the non-election year, no regular revision activities would be there for the subsequent qualifying dates of the year.

What is Special Intensive Revision?

As per Rule 25(1) of Registration of Electors Rules (RER 1960), there are following types of revision: intensive revision, summary revision and partly intensive and partly summary revision.

Intensive revision is usually a de-novo (anew in Latin) process without reference to earlier existing rolls. The last de novo preparation of the last part of the electoral roll was done in 2002, according to the Press Information Bureau.

How is Bihar’s SIR different from electoral roll revision?

Special summary revision is an annual event. The electoral roll is updated before each Lok Sabha and state Assembly election. However, according to the EC, intensive revisions have been carried out in 1952-56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983-84, 1987-89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

During previous special intensive revisions, Block Level Officers would go house to house with an “enumeration pad” to be filled by the head of a household.

This time around, each existing elector will have to submit an individual enumeration form. Those added to the roll after January 1, 2003, the year of the last intensive revision in Bihar, will additionally have to provide proof of citizenship.

During the usual revision of the electoral roll, one can add, delete or edit names but with the EC intervention and following some procedures.

History of electoral roll revisions in India

Originally, Section 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, mandated an annual revision of electoral rolls, with March 1 serving as the qualifying date.

In 1952, after the first general election, the EC directed that till 1956, the annual revision of electoral rolls should cover one-fifth of the entire state so that every constituency can have its electoral roll intensively revised at least once before the next general elections.

In 1956, the poll panel directed intensive revision of rolls annually in areas where electoral rolls can become inaccurate for various factors such as frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote and non-reporting of deaths, among others.

In 1957, the EC directed that during each of the three following years, the electoral rolls of one-third of the entire state area be revised intensively.

In 1960, the Representation of the People Act was amended. The EC then ordered annual revision of rolls between January 1 and January 31 of the year.

In 1962, EC directed “summary revision” adequate for 1963 and 1964. In 1965 intensive revision was conducted again in 40% of India. The rest 60 percent was held in 1966.

District Election Officers appointed in each district and summary roll revision conducted intensive revision in 1969-70 and 1975.

No Lok Sabha polls were held in 1976 during the Emergency. However, the EC held a summary roll revision.

In 1983, a staggered intensive revision of all rural constituencies was conducted ahead of the 1985 Lok Sabha polls.

Between 1987 and 1988 all constituencies revised intensively

In 1992, summary revision was ordered followed by intensive revision in 1993. The Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC card) was also introduced in 1993.

Intensive revision was carried out in 1995.

The last de novo preparation of the last part of the electoral roll was done in 2002 across India.

Why is Bihar’s case unique?

According to EC, Bihar’s draft electoral rolls, as of January 1, 2025, stand at close to 7.96 crore electors. The EC said 4.96 crore individuals, who were on the 2003 electoral roll, will not need to submit fresh documents, and for their children, only an extract of the 2003 roll can serve as proof for their parents.

However, the figure for 2003 is not static. A significant number may have either died or migrated.

The 2025 SIR in Bihar is different on several counts. An “intensive” revision mostly involves a de-novo exercise. However, the Bihar SIR is using the 2002-03 electoral roll as the base.

What does the Opposition say?

The Congress has said the voter list revision carries the risk of "willful exclusion" of voters using state machinery. After meeting with the EC, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi told the media that around two crore people in Bihar could lose their right to vote. He said many voters, especially those from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), migrant workers, and poor families, may not be able to provide their own or their parents’ birth certificates in the short time given.

“After the PM’s ‘notebandi’ of November 2016 destroyed our economy, ECI’s ‘VOTE-Bandi’ in Bihar and other states, as reflected in the SIR, will destroy our democracy,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X.