NEW DELHI: Booth level officers (BLOs) on Friday completed door-to-door visits to the state’s nearly 1.5 crore households as part of the ongoing special intensive roll revision (SIR), distributing enumeration forms to over 87 per cent or over 6.8 crore, of Bihar’s 7.9 crore electorate. Already, 38 lakh or 5 per cent filled-up and signed enumeration forms, with or without the specified documents, have been received by the BLOs, with the figure expected to touch 15 per cent on Saturday.
Sources in the election commission (EC) told TOI that even where enumeration forms are short on one or more required documents, there shall be a window for the elector concerned to submit them anytime before July 25, the last date for submission of the completed enumeration forms. “All those who turn in their filled-up forms by July 25 will be included in the draft electoral roll to be published on August 1, 2025,” said an EC official adding that the BLOs are working with the motto “inclusion first”.
“In order to get one’s name in the draft electoral roll, the strict condition is to sign and submit the pre-printed enumeration form before July 25. This step will filter out non-existent voters, either dead or migrated ones who are no longer ordinary residents of that assembly constituency,” said an EC officer.
Though BLOs will give their recommendation while submitting/uploading the filled up enumeration form, the electoral registration officer (ERO) or assistant ERO (AERO) is expected to scrutinise the forms “not recommended” by BLOs only after draft rolls are published on August 1.
Claims and objections to the draft electoral roll can be filed from August 1 to September 1. “Based on the documents attached or not attached, eligibility verification of each name in the draft roll will start vigorously from August 2 onwards, which is also the date from which political parties or any member of the public can file claims and objections,” said an officer.
EROs and AEROs will scrutinise the forms against the eligibility criteria laid down in Article 326, which requires electors to Indian citizens, not less than 18 years of age and ordinarily resident in the constituency.
Asked about the remaining 13 per cent enumeration forms still not distributed by BLOs, EC said these could be on account of locked houses, dead electors, migrants or those who may be travelling. BLO will be making two more house visits in such cases.
Electors who miss the July 25 deadline can still apply for inclusion during the claims and objections period using Form 6. The over 1.5 lakh booth level agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties, including 52,689 by the BJP 47,504 by RJD, 34,660 by JD(U) and 16,500 by the Congress, can continue to submit up to 10 forms per day even after the draft roll is published.
The final electoral roll will be published on September 30, 2025. Those still aggrieved can file first appeal with the district magistrate and final one with the chief electoral officer.
Further additions to the electoral roll can be made even after the Bihar poll is announced, that is, till the last day of filing of nominations.
Sources in the election commission (EC) told TOI that even where enumeration forms are short on one or more required documents, there shall be a window for the elector concerned to submit them anytime before July 25, the last date for submission of the completed enumeration forms. “All those who turn in their filled-up forms by July 25 will be included in the draft electoral roll to be published on August 1, 2025,” said an EC official adding that the BLOs are working with the motto “inclusion first”.
“In order to get one’s name in the draft electoral roll, the strict condition is to sign and submit the pre-printed enumeration form before July 25. This step will filter out non-existent voters, either dead or migrated ones who are no longer ordinary residents of that assembly constituency,” said an EC officer.
Though BLOs will give their recommendation while submitting/uploading the filled up enumeration form, the electoral registration officer (ERO) or assistant ERO (AERO) is expected to scrutinise the forms “not recommended” by BLOs only after draft rolls are published on August 1.
Claims and objections to the draft electoral roll can be filed from August 1 to September 1. “Based on the documents attached or not attached, eligibility verification of each name in the draft roll will start vigorously from August 2 onwards, which is also the date from which political parties or any member of the public can file claims and objections,” said an officer.
EROs and AEROs will scrutinise the forms against the eligibility criteria laid down in Article 326, which requires electors to Indian citizens, not less than 18 years of age and ordinarily resident in the constituency.
Asked about the remaining 13 per cent enumeration forms still not distributed by BLOs, EC said these could be on account of locked houses, dead electors, migrants or those who may be travelling. BLO will be making two more house visits in such cases.
Electors who miss the July 25 deadline can still apply for inclusion during the claims and objections period using Form 6. The over 1.5 lakh booth level agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties, including 52,689 by the BJP 47,504 by RJD, 34,660 by JD(U) and 16,500 by the Congress, can continue to submit up to 10 forms per day even after the draft roll is published.
The final electoral roll will be published on September 30, 2025. Those still aggrieved can file first appeal with the district magistrate and final one with the chief electoral officer.
Further additions to the electoral roll can be made even after the Bihar poll is announced, that is, till the last day of filing of nominations.
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