Why Are 65 Lakh Names Missing from Bihar’s Voter List? Election Commission Explains

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has flagged serious discrepancies in Bihar’s electoral rolls after a thorough enumeration exercise conducted on 24 and 25 June 2025 as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

According to the data released, the details of around 65 lakh voters could not be verified. The exercise was part of ECI's mission to clean the rolls and ensure that only eligible voters are listed.

Why 65 Lakh Voter Records Are in Doubt

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) identified four major reasons for the massive number of unverifiable records. These include:

• Voters found registered in other states or union territories
• Voters not found in existence
• Electors failing to submit the enumeration forms before the deadline
• Individuals refusing to register for unspecified reasons
• The ECI’s data breaks down the 65 lakh unverifiable electors as follows:
• 22 lakh voters have been found deceased
• 36 lakh were either permanently relocated or not found during verification
• 7 lakh were found registered in more than one location

One Voter, One Location

The Election Commission stated that in cases of duplicate registration, the elector’s name will be retained only at one location. The ECI further clarified: “The primary goal of the SIR is to ensure that no eligible elector is left behind and no ineligible elector gets included in the rolls.”

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The ECI has opened a window for genuine voters who may have been left out to raise objections or submit claims. This process will remain open from 1 August to September 2025.

Electors who were mistakenly removed can file a claim to have their names restored in the final electoral list. This is in line with the ECI’s core objective of ensuring accuracy in the voter list.

No Political Party Has Raised Objections

Interestingly, the ECI revealed on 8 August that no political party has submitted any claim or objection so far regarding the draft electoral rolls published on 1 August.

Despite the large-scale deletion and adjustments made, all 6,257 claims and objections received to date have come only from individual electors.

Final Rolls Aiming for Purity and Accuracy

The Commission has reiterated its commitment to transparency and inclusiveness. Officials maintain that no genuine voter will be excluded and no ineligible name will find a place. “The Commission aims to ensure that no eligible elector is left out and no ineligible elector is included,” the ECI reiterated in its daily bulletin.

The ECI continues to encourage people to participate in the process actively, especially during the ongoing Claims and Objections period. With Bihar's political stakes high ahead of upcoming elections, these revelations could become a critical talking point in the months to come.

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