Bihar Assembly Elections Phase-I Witnesses Record 64.66% Voter Turnout

The first phase of the Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections 2025 concluded peacefully on Thursday, recording a historic voter turnout of 64.66% — the highest ever in the state’s electoral history.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) hailed the achievement as a reflection of the people’s enthusiasm and trust in the democratic process. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, monitored polling operations throughout the day via live webcasting from all 45,341 polling stations — a first for Bihar.

Polling was held across 121 Assembly Constituencies in 18 districts, covering an electorate of over 3.75 crore voters. The ECI reported that the polling process remained smooth, secure, and festive in nature.

In another first, 16 international delegates from six countries — South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Belgium, and Colombia — witnessed the elections under the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP). They lauded Bihar’s elections as among the world’s most “transparent, efficient, and participative.”

More than 4 lakh polling staff were deployed, reaching their destinations well before polling began. Mock polls commenced before 7 AM, and voting started simultaneously across the state.

The ECI’s new voter-friendly initiatives received wide appreciation. These included coloured candidate photos on EVMs, mobile deposit facilities at polling stations, redesigned voter information slips, and a cap of 1,200 voters per booth to reduce crowding.

To ensure inclusivity, all polling stations were equipped with wheelchairs, volunteer support for PwD voters, and E-rickshaw services to assist them in reaching booths. Over 90,000 Jeevika Didis (female volunteers) were also deployed to facilitate voting for purdah-observing women.

Presiding Officers updated turnout data directly from polling stations through the ECINet app, ensuring near real-time reporting of voter participation.

The record turnout of 64.66% marks a significant leap from the 57.29% recorded in 2020, underlining Bihar’s growing democratic engagement and the success of ECI’s efforts to make voting a seamless and enjoyable experience.