Bihar Pioneers India’s First Mobile-Based e-Voting System

In a landmark move, the Bihar State Election Commission (SEC) has initiated the rollout of a mobile-based e-voting system, making Bihar the first Indian state to adopt such a modern and inclusive voting process. The new system will be launched during the municipal and urban body polls scheduled for 28th June, as confirmed by State Election Commissioner Deepak Prasad.

What is e-Voting?

e-Voting refers to the process of casting votes through electronic devices, in this case, Android-based mobile phones. This method allows eligible voters to participate in elections remotely, without the need to visit a polling booth.

The e-voting system in Bihar will function via two mobile applications:

• “e-Voting SECBHR” developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
• A second app created by the Bihar State Election Commission

Inclusive Voting: Reaching the Unreachable

The new system is designed to include citizens who traditionally face difficulties in voting due to physical or logistical barriers. As Commissioner Prasad stated, the e-voting initiative aims to empower:

• Migrant labourers and voters
• Persons with disabilities (Divyang voters)
• Pregnant women
• Senior citizens
• Seriously ill individuals

By removing the compulsion to be physically present at a polling station, the e-voting platform is expected to increase voter turnout and make the democratic process more inclusive and accessible.

Digital Security and Transparency

One of the key highlights of Bihar’s e-voting system is its robust digital security infrastructure. The system incorporates advanced technological features to ensure tamper-proof and secure elections, such as:

• Blockchain platform for transparent data handling
• Liveness detection to confirm that the voter is present and active
• Face match and live face scan for biometric verification
• Face comparison against pre-recorded voter data
• Audit trail, akin to the VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) used with EVMs, to ensure vote verification

These features guarantee that each vote is genuine, verifiable, and securely recorded.

A Model for Other States

Bihar’s innovation in electoral technology is not new. The State Election Commission has been a trailblazer in implementing end-to-end digital processes, such as:

• FRS (Face Recognition System) for voter authentication
• OCR (Optical Character Recognition) for vote counting and result declaration
• Digital locks for securing EVM strong rooms

These measures have positioned Bihar as a role model in democratic innovation, drawing nationwide and even global attention.

Global Context: A Step Towards Global Standards

With the implementation of mobile-based e-voting, Bihar joins the ranks of countries like Estonia, the only known European country to have successfully implemented nationwide e-voting systems. This development reflects Bihar’s ambition to modernize its democratic processes in line with global best practices.