Bihar Elections 2025 Phase-I Records Historic 64.66% Voter Turnout.
ECI’s new initiatives make voting a pleasant and inclusive experience for citizens.
New Delhi:
The first phase of the Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections 2025 concluded on Thursday in a peaceful and festive atmosphere, registering a record-breaking 64.66% voter turnout — the highest ever in the state’s electoral history.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), this unprecedented participation reflects the growing enthusiasm of Bihar’s electorate and the success of several new voter-friendly initiatives implemented during this election.
ECI Ensures Smooth, Transparent and Inclusive Polling
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, monitored the entire polling process through 100% live webcasting — a first for Bihar. The CEC personally interacted with Presiding Officers and District Election Officers (DEOs) from the ECI Control Room to ensure that the polling progressed without disruption.
Polling took place in 121 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) across 18 districts, covering an electorate of more than 3.75 crore voters. Over 4 lakh polling personnel were deployed across 45,341 polling stations, all of which were ready for polling well before the scheduled time. Mock polls were completed before 7 AM, and voting commenced simultaneously across the state.
International Delegates Laud Bihar’s Electoral Management
For the first time in Bihar, the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) was introduced, hosting 16 delegates from six countries — South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Belgium, and Colombia. The delegates praised the Bihar elections as “one of the most well-organized, transparent, efficient and participative elections globally.”
Women and PwD Voters Receive Special Support
Inclusivity remained a cornerstone of ECI’s planning. Over 90,000 Jeevika Didis (female volunteers) were deployed along with Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel to assist Purdahnasheen women at polling booths.
To ensure accessibility, all polling stations were equipped with wheelchairs, and volunteers were tagged to assist Persons with Disabilities (PwD). In addition, E-rickshaw services were provided to help PwD voters reach their polling stations conveniently.
New Voter-Friendly Features Introduced
Several first-of-its-kind initiatives were rolled out to enhance the voting experience:
- Coloured photographs of candidates on EVM ballot papers, helping voters easily identify their preferred candidates.
- Mobile deposit facilities at polling stations for voters’ convenience.
- Redesigned Voter Information Slips (VIS) for better readability.
- Limiting each polling station to 1,200 voters to prevent crowding and ensure faster polling.
Voters across the state appreciated these efforts, describing the experience as “smooth, efficient, and well-organized.”
Efficient Turnout Reporting Through ECINet
Under new ECI instructions, Presiding Officers updated voter turnout figures before leaving the polling stations, ensuring near-real-time data availability. As of 8:15 PM, turnout figures stood at 64.66%, with 1,570 Presiding Officers yet to update final data on ECINet.
District-wise and Assembly Constituency-wise turnout data were made available through the ECINet App, reflecting ECI’s commitment to transparency.
Bihar’s Voter Turnout Through the Years
The 2025 elections mark a major leap in Bihar’s democratic participation. From a low of 42.6% in the first Assembly elections in 1951–52, voter turnout has steadily increased, reaching the highest ever at 64.66% this year.
| Year | Voter Turnout (%) |
|---|---|
| 1951–52 | 42.6 (Lowest) |
| 2000 | 62.57 (Previous Highest) |
| 2020 | 57.29 |
| 2025 | 64.66 (Highest Ever) |
“A Festival of Democracy”
CEC Gyanesh Kumar hailed the first phase as “a festival of democracy,” emphasizing that the enthusiasm of voters and the commitment of polling personnel had made the election a historic success.
“Bihar has once again shown that democracy thrives when citizens participate with faith and enthusiasm,” he said. “Our efforts were aimed at making voting accessible, inclusive, and pleasant — and the record turnout proves the people’s trust in the process.”
With two more phases to follow, the Election Commission reaffirmed its resolve to conduct the remaining polls with the same level of transparency, efficiency, and citizen participation.
