Have There Been Any Appeals for Name Changes in Bihar's Final Electoral Roll?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- No appeals filed regarding Bihar's final electoral roll discrepancies.
- Election Commission's final voter list includes 7.42 crore eligible voters.
- Opposition protests claim valid voters' names were removed.
- Voters can appeal to District Magistrates for any discrepancies.
- Alternative photo IDs can be used to vote.
New Delhi, Oct 10 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday that no appeals have been submitted to the District Magistrates regarding any complaints or discrepancies in the final voter list, as of October 9. Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer confirmed that there have been no appeals received by the District Magistrates thus far.
In a statement shared on X, the ECI noted, "Throughout the Special Intensive Revision Campaign, 2025 in Bihar, the District Magistrate has not received any appeals under Section 24(A) of the Representation of the People Act concerning the addition or removal of names from the electoral roll by the Electoral Registration Officer in all 243 Assembly Constituencies until 09.10.2025."
The final voters’ list for the Bihar Assembly elections was published on September 30, featuring 7.42 crore eligible voters who are set to participate in the upcoming elections.
The release of the purged voter list sparked significant protests from the Opposition, who alleged that many valid voters’ names were unjustly removed from the list.
In response, the ECI required that appeals regarding any name additions or deletions, as well as any discrepancies, be directed to the respective District Magistrates. However, after nine days, the Bihar CEC reported that no appeals have been received from any district.
The poll body released the final draft voter list on September 30, documenting a total of 7,41,92,357 voters.
The ECI initiated the voter revision process in June. Prior to this, Bihar had 7.89 crore voters. Following the revision, 65 lakh voters were removed, with a 30-day period allocated for claims and objections.
Earlier today, the ECI issued a notification stating that individuals listed on the voters’ list may present any one of 12 alternative photo IDs, aside from the Electors' Photo Identity Card (EPIC), to cast their vote. The poll panel reiterated that it is essential for a person's name to appear on the electoral roll to be eligible to vote.