In a significant electoral milestone, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that Bihar has become the first state in the country to complete the rationalisation of all its polling stations. The process involved evaluating and restructuring over 1,200 polling station clusters to ensure optimal accessibility and efficiency.
Key Developments:
- Focus on Accessibility: In line with ECI guidelines, polling stations have been reorganised to ensure no voter has to travel more than 2 km. This move is expected to improve voter turnout and reduce the burden on voters, especially the elderly and differently-abled.
- Largest Number of Polling Stations Reorganised: Bihar successfully rationalised over 12,817 polling station clusters—the highest for any state so far in this initiative.
- Total Polling Stations in Bihar: After this restructuring, Bihar now has a total of 90,712 polling stations. Among them, approximately 1,200 stations were added due to geographical or logistical necessity.
- National Electoral Roll Purification Drive: Bihar has been chosen as the lead state for the nationwide voter roll update, an initiative meant to enhance voter list accuracy across India. The campaign includes the verification of polling station infrastructure and readiness for the 2025 elections.
- Draft Voter List Announcement: The draft electoral roll for Bihar will be published on August 16, 2025. This list will serve as a reference for any corrections or updates ahead of upcoming polls.
This development positions Bihar as a role model for other states in electoral readiness and logistical execution. With enhanced voter convenience and a stronger polling framework, the state is well-prepared for the 2025 elections. The ECI plans to use Bihar’s success story as a blueprint for similar reforms across India.
