A significant review of Bihar's electoral rolls has uncovered that approximately 41.64 lakh voters are "missing" from their listed addresses, raising concerns about the integrity of the voter list. Additionally, around 11,000 of these voters are completely untraceable. This comes as the Election Commission (EC) carries out a special intensive revision of the state's electoral rolls ahead of upcoming elections.

The Election Commission reported that nearly 42 lakh electors were untraceable at their listed addresses, and over 7.50 lakh individuals were found to be registered in multiple locations. As part of the ongoing special intensive revision, almost 96% of the state's 7.90 crore electors have been reviewed.

The term "missing voters" includes several categories: those who have died but remain on the rolls (approximately 14.29 lakh), those who have permanently moved out of the state (roughly 19.74 lakh), those registered in multiple places, and those who are simply untraceable by surveyors (around 11,000 individuals).

To identify these discrepancies, officials asked every registered voter in Bihar to fill out "enumeration forms" to confirm their eligibility. Over 90% of the state's voters submitted these forms, either physically or digitally. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted house visits, verified addresses, and revisited those who hadn't submitted forms. Despite these efforts, details for approximately 41.64 lakh names could not be confirmed, placing them at risk of removal from voter lists.

The Election Commission will share the details of nearly 35.7 lakh unverified electors with political parties, granting them until July 25 to verify their status. The EC said that just over 6.8% of remaining electors in Bihar still need to submit their enumeration forms. Forms from 88.7% of electors have been received, with 82% already uploaded on the ECINet platform.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar expressed gratitude for the public's engagement in the process. All submitted forms, regardless of documentation status, will be included in the draft electoral roll for Bihar, which is scheduled for publication on August 1, 2025. Missing documents can be submitted later during the claims and objections period.

The Election Commission is making efforts to ensure that the remaining electors are added to the draft roll. Booth-level officers have conducted multiple rounds of house-to-house visits and contacted electors. Special camps have been set up in all 5,683 wards of the 261 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Bihar to enroll remaining electors. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1, 2025, and any rectifications can be filed by August 30, 2025.