Chief Election Commissioner Dnyanesh Kumar on Sunday prepared major measures for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, stating that no polling station would have more than 1,200 voters to ensure smooth voting.
The Chief Election Commissioner also highlighted many new initiatives with the aim of increasing transparency and improving voter experience.
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “The Election Commission has decided that there will be no more than 1,200 voters at any polling station.”
Kumar said that now booth level officials will keep an identity card for easy identity and the mobile phones of the voters will be deposited outside the booth.
He said, “Identity cards have been issued for better identity of booth level officials while going to voters. Mobile phones can be deposited in a room outside the booth. This process will be implemented in the whole of Bihar … 100 percent.”
The Chief Election Commissioner said, “Webcasting will be done at every polling station.”
Announcing changes in ballot papers for the upcoming election, the CEC said that the font of the serial number will be large and the pictures of the candidates will be colorful.
He said, “When the ballot is put into EVMs, the picture on it is white, which makes it difficult to identify, although the election symbol is also big. The serial number should also be big. By starting from Bihar elections, the font of the serial number will be big and the pictures of the candidates will be colorful.”
Speaking on counting procedures, Kumar said that due to discrepancies in Form 17C and EVM counting units, all affected VVPATs had to be calculated earlier.
He said, “Earlier, when votes were counted, if Form 17C, which the presiding officer gives the polling agents, and there was any difference in the EVM counting unit, then all such VVPATs were fully counted. Similarly, the counting of postal ballots will be mandatory before the last two rounds of EVM counting.”
Additionally, the Election Commission is gradually implementing the ECI-Net, which will provide the total number of voters and the male-women details of the voters within a few days of the end of the election.
Kumar said, “After the election ends, many people want to know how many voters were there, how many men voted and how many women voted. Now, gradually, the ECI-Net is being progressively implemented. Therefore, you will be able to see these digital index cards within a few days of the end of the election.”
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that elections in Bihar will be held before 22 November, when the term of the state assembly is ending. Kumar said that there are “243 assembly constituencies” in Bihar, two of which are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 38 for Scheduled Castes.
The Chief Election Commissioner said, “There are 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar – 2 for Scheduled Tribes and 38 Scheduled Castes. The term of Bihar Legislative Assembly is ending on November 22, 2025 and elections will be held before that. The Election Commission trained the booth level officials for the first time. SIR was started on June 24, 2025 and was completed by the time limit.”
Kumar congratulated the voters on the successful completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and urged the people of Bihar to actively participate in the upcoming assembly elections.
He appealed to all the voters to take voting as a celebration of democracy like the enthusiasm shown during Chhath and ensure complete participation in voting.
Significantly, Election Commission officials were on a two -day review tour of the state.