The Election Commission of India has announced relief for approximately 49.6 million voters in Bihar, eliminating the need to submit additional documents. The EC has uploaded the 2003 voter lists to its official website, https://voters.eci.gov.in, providing accessible details for voters.
The directive issued on June 24 requires CEOs, DEOs, and EROs to provide hard copies of the 2003 electoral rolls to all BLOs. The lists are also available online, allowing people to download and use them as evidence when submitting enumeration forms.
This measure is part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign in Bihar. The Commission anticipates that around 60% of voters will be exempt from submitting documents. Voters only need to verify their information against the 2003 list and fill out the enumeration form. This simplification aims to facilitate the work of voters and BLOs, speeding up the process.
Individuals whose names are not in the 2003 list can use it to confirm their parents’ names, removing the need for separate parental documents. These voters will only need to submit their personal documents with the enumeration form.
Regular revision is mandated under the law to maintain an accurate voter list, which is updated to reflect deaths, relocations, and new voters. According to Article 326 of the Constitution, Indian citizens aged 18 or above who reside in the electoral constituency are eligible to vote.