A riddle in Election Commission's roll revision in Bihar: 'Missing' voters

As the SIR drive nears its end and a fresh electoral roll is set to be published, questions remain over the fate of millions of voters

Ever since the Election Commission (EC) rolled out its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive in Bihar, millions across the poll-bound state have scrambled to gather one of 11 official documents that the poll body has asked them to furnish. The sweeping exercise, the EC says, is to update and “cleanse” the electoral rolls. It is aimed at tackling longstanding issues in the voter lists — illegal immigrants, underreported deaths, and frequent migration of domiciled citizens. 

Critics, including former EC officials, and also citizens’ groups who petitioned the Supreme Court, have argued that the SIR’s “narrow” criteria and “poor timing” could end up disenfranchising a significant number of poor, rural, and marginalised voters. 

According to the latest data furnished by the poll body as of July 19 evening, it had covered 75,746,821 of Bihar’s 78,969,844 electors (as on June 24, 2025), or 95.92 per cent. The data showed that the EC had not received 3.23 million forms, or 4.08 per cent. But according to sources, with six days still to go for the conclusion of the SIR, the commission was confident that it would receive the remaining forms. 

The EC said as part of the SIR drive, it did not find 41,64, 814 electors, or 5.27 per cent, at their addresses so far. This included 1.42 million (1.81 per cent) electors, which it said could be “probably deceased electors”. 

However, what’s fuelling the concern for many voters is the kind of documentation the EC is asking for: birth certificates, passports issued before July 1, 1987, government service ID cards, matriculation certificates, caste documents, and forest rights claims. 

In Bihar, as of 2022–23, 81.4 per cent of children under five had their births registered — well below the national average of 89.3 per cent. In contrast, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Gujarat had near-universal registration levels. At 78.9 per cent, the neighbouring state of Jharkhand fared poorly as well, while UP was lower still at 75.9 per cent. This matters, because birth registration is foundational — it determines whether individuals can later produce birth certificates to prove their age, identity, and eligibility to vote. 

The state’s track record is not encouraging either. Just 3.7 per cent of the births in Bihar were registered with the government in 2000. That figure rose to 26.2 per cent by 2007, but remained amongst the lowest in India. Now, many of those born in 2007 — who turn 18 this year — may not have a birth certificate. They face a situation where they could end up being dropped from the voter rolls. 

Notably, Aadhaar, which has a much wider reach, was excluded from the SIR exercise. However, after hearing out the arguments of the petitioners, the Supreme Court has asked the EC to consider Aadhaar as a document that can be furnished.

In Bihar, Aadhaar coverage stands at 87.9 per cent, higher than the state’s birth registration rate. Nationally, Aadhaar covers 94.4 per cent of the population, with some states like Delhi and Kerala reporting more than 100 per cent coverage due to migration and duplication. 

As for other acceptable documents under SIR: only 2 per cent of Bihar’s 104 million residents (2011 Census) held a passport in 2023. Just 1.57 per cent of the population is employed in government jobs and may possess a government-issued ID. Only 14.7 per cent have completed Class 10 and would have a matriculation certificate. Forest rights claims are minuscule: just 4,696 were filed in Bihar and only 191 approved. Even land ownership — another potential source of proof — is limited.  According to the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census, over 65 per cent of rural households in Bihar do not own any land.

EC officials have contested fears of disenfranchisement of the marginalised communities by pointing out that caste certificates of members of marginalised communities — Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) — are being considered. Only in exceptional cases are such certificates not available with people belonging to these communities, the poll body contends. 

It remains to be seen whether the SIR, when it concludes at the end of this week, and the fresh electoral roll that is published on August 1, bears out the fears of widespread disenfranchisement, particularly of the poor, the landless, and the less formally educated. To be sure, there will also be a month-long period — from August 1 to September 1 — for filing claims and objections.