Patna, October 5, 2025
In a significant push towards modernizing India's electoral process, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced 17 new initiatives on Sunday aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency, and voter accessibility ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, addressing a press conference in Patna, described Bihar as a "model state" for these reforms, with plans to replicate them nationwide in future polls.
The announcements come at a pivotal time, as the ECI gears up for Bihar's elections, expected to be held before November 22. Kumar highlighted that the state's voter list has been "purified" after 22 years through a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), adding over 12,000 new polling stations to bring the total to 90,712ensuring no booth exceeds 1,200 voters, down from the previous 1,500 cap. This move alone is projected to reduce queues and improve the voting experience for Bihar's over 7.6 crore electors.
Among the standout reforms is the introduction of color photographs of candidates on Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ballots, a first for any state, coupled with larger fonts for serial numbers to aid voter identification. Election symbols will remain unchanged to avoid confusion. "These changes will make the process more intuitive and error-free," Kumar stated, adding that black-and-white images will be phased out nationally starting with Bihar.
To bolster security and streamline operations, booth-level officials will now carry official identity cards for easier recognition when assisting voters. Voters, in turn, will have dedicated counters outside polling stations to deposit mobile phones, ensuring the sanctity of the secret ballot. Every polling booth across Bihar will feature 100% webcasting for real-time monitoring, further promoting accountability.
On the verification front, the ECI has clarified procedures for discrepancies between Form 17C (account of votes) and EVM counts: a full recount of all affected Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips will be mandatory in such cases. Postal ballots must also be tallied before the final two rounds of EVM counting to expedite results.
Additional measures include a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guaranteeing delivery of Electors' Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) within 15 days of registration, the printing of larger serial numbers on ballot papers, and the rollout of digital index cards carrying constituency-wise voter statistics for better election management. While the ECI detailed nine key initiatives during the briefing, officials confirmed the full suite of 17 encompasses further enhancements in areas like mandatory VVPAT slip verification for complaints and optimized counting protocols.
Kumar emphasized the nationwide potential: "Bihar's successful implementation will serve as a blueprint for other states, subject to logistical feasibility." The reforms build on recent ECI efforts, including the SIR that identified and removed over 5 lakh bogus entries from Bihar's rolls.
Political parties have welcomed the changes, with Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary calling them a "step towards foolproof democracy," while RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari urged swift national adoption to address urban voter concerns. Critics, however, have raised questions about resource allocation for webcasting in remote areas.
As dates for the Bihar polls are set to be announced soon, these reforms signal the ECI's commitment to a more inclusive and tech-driven electoral framework. With India's democracy at a crossroads, observers say this could set a precedent for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
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