The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday clarified the reason behind the 65 lakh gap in the draft voter list in Bihar, detected during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Out of about eight crore Enumeration Forms distributed and downloaded during the enumeration phase, 7.24 crore were collected. Explaining the shortfall, the ECI said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) could not find some electors, while others had shifted to different States or Union Territories, were deceased, did not submit the forms by the 25 July deadline, or chose not to register.
According to ECI’s data, 22 lakh electors were deceased, 36 lakh had permanently moved or could not be located, and 7 lakh were registered in multiple places. The Commission also shared cumulative and daily graphical data on forms distributed, collected, and digitised.
The ECI emphasised that the aim of the SIR is to ensure every eligible elector is included and no ineligible name remains. Genuine voters can still be added during the claims and objections period from 1 August to 1 September 2025.
No political party has filed any claim or objection regarding the draft electoral rolls published on 1 August. However, the Commission said it has so far received 6,257 claims and objections directly from electors.