Bihar First State to Introduce e-Voting

• 21 Jun 2025

Why in News? 

Bihar has become the first state in India to introduce an e-voting system for urban local body elections. 

• The Bihar State Election Commission (SEC) will implement this digital voting method through two mobile applications “e-Voting SECBHR” developed by C-DAC and another app developed by the Bihar State Election Commission. 

Key Points 

• E-Voting System: Electronic voting systems can involve using e-voting machines or kiosks at polling stations, which record votes instantly and provide receipts without internet connectivity.  
• First-of-its-Kind in India: Bihar is the country’s first state to adopt an e-voting system for municipal and urban body elections. 
  • Estonia was the first country in the world to use online voting in 2005. 
• Technological Features: 
  • The system ensures tamper-proof voting through blockchain security and biometric authentication like liveness detection and face matching. 
  • Bihar’s SEC has also introduced digital innovations like the Face Recognition System for voter verification, OCR for vote counting and results, and digital locks for  Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) strong rooms. 
• Significane: 
  • Inclusive Voting: E-voting enables migrants, remote voters, disabled, pregnant women, seniors, and the seriously ill to vote from anywhere. 
  • Increased Turnout: The initiative will raise voter participation by making voting more accessible and convenient.

History of Electronic Voting Machines in India: 

• 1977: Chief Election Commissioner S.L. Shakdhar proposes the idea of EVMs. 
• 1980–81: EVMs are developed and demonstrated by Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL). 
• 1982–83: EVMs are used for the first time in 50 polling stations in Parur constituency, Kerala, and later in 11 Assembly constituencies across 8 states and 1 Union Territory. 
• 1984: The Supreme Court halts EVM usage, citing the need for amendments to the Representation of the People (RP) Act 1951. 
• 1988: The RP Act is amended, legally enabling EVM use from 15th March 1989. 
• 2018: The Supreme Court rejects a petition demanding a return to ballot papers. 
• 2013: Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 amended to introduce Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) for greater transparency. 
  • VVPATs were first deployed in the by-election for 51-Noksen Assembly Constituency in Nagaland.