Bihar Elections 2025: EC updates EVM ballot paper guidelines ahead of Bihar polls, mandates color photos, serial numbers on EVMs to…; details inside
The Election Commission has revised EVM ballot paper guidelines ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly Election 2025.
Bihar Assembly Election: The Election Commission of India(BHARAT) (ECI) has revised guidelines for EVM ballot papers ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly Election, mandating coloured photographs of candidates for the design and printing of ballot papers, to replace the monochrome or no-photo versions that were used earlier.
What are ECI’s new guidelines?
As per an official statement issued on Wednesday, the revised guidelines for the design and printing of EVM Ballot Papers under Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, are aimed to enhance the clarity and readability of these documents. The photographs will l be printed in colour on the EVM Ballot Paper, and the candidate’s face will occupy three-fourths of the photo space for better visibility, the ECI said.
Additionally, the poll panel has mandated that serial numbers of candidates/NOTA must be printed in the international form of India(BHARAT)n numerals in a bold font size of 30 for enhanced clarity. The EVM Ballot Papers will be printed on 70 GSM paper, and for Assembly Elections, pink-coloured paper of specified RGB values shall be used, it added.
The Election Commission said the initiative is in line with the 28 initiatives it has already in the past six months to streamline and improve election processes and enhance convenience for voters.
Why poll panel revised earlier rules?
Notably, the earlier guidelines only required basic details of the candidate such as name, party symbol and serial, while photos were usually black-and-white and small-sized, and even absent in some cases.
ECI said the that to ensure uniformity, the names of all candidates/NOTA will be printed in the same font type and font size, large enough for easy readability, the release said.
The updated guidelines come amid “vote theft” allegations by the Congress-led Opposition INDIA bloc, which has accused the ECI of “colluding” with the BJP to ensure electoral gains for the ruling party.
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