ECI Announces Robust Arrangements for Bihar Vote Counting; Records Zero Repolls and Highest-Ever Voter Turnout

New Delhi, Nov 2025 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced comprehensive arrangements for the counting of votes in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, scheduled for Friday, November 14. The election marks a historic milestone for the state — registering record voter participation and, notably, zero repolls.

Elaborate security and administrative measures have been put in place across all 243 Assembly constituencies to ensure a smooth and transparent counting process. Each constituency will have one Returning Officer and an equal number of Counting Observers overseeing the operations.

According to the ECI’s press release, a total of 4,372 counting tables have been established. Each table will be manned by a counting supervisor, assistant, and micro-observer. In addition, more than 18,000 counting agents, appointed by contesting candidates, will monitor the process firsthand.

Counting will commence at 8 a.m. on Friday with postal ballots, followed by the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from 8:30 a.m. onwards. Before counting begins, every EVM control unit will be checked for seal integrity and cross-verified with Form 17C records to ensure accuracy.

“In case of any discrepancies, the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) slips will be counted,” the Commission stated. “The votes recorded in EVMs are cross-checked with entries in Form 17C. If any mismatch is found, counting of VVPAT slips from that polling station becomes mandatory.”

After completion of EVM counting, slips from five randomly selected polling stations per constituency will undergo VVPAT verification in the presence of candidates and their counting agents to further reinforce transparency.

The Commission reported a record voter turnout of 67.13 percent — the highest since the first assembly election in 1951. Not a single repoll was requested by any of the 2,616 candidates or 12 recognised political parties that contested, which the ECI described as “an unprecedented achievement in electoral management” and a reflection of public trust in the voting process.

Equally noteworthy, the ECI confirmed zero appeals during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across all 38 districts, encompassing 7.45 crore electors in the final voter list — a testament, it said, to the accuracy and credibility of Bihar’s voter registration system.