The final roll saw 68.6 lakh deletions -- mostly routine cases of death, migration or duplication -- and 21.5 lakh additions, bringing the state’s voter list to 7.42 crore.When the Election Commission (EC) ordered a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls in June, breaking from precedent by requiring voters to produce one of 11 documents to prove eligibility, the move drew criticism and challenges in court for resembling a citizenship check. But three months later, the exercise that ended Tuesday looked very different, altered by Supreme Court interventions as well as feedback from the field.At the outset, the Commission made inclusion conditional on documentary proof. But Aadhaar, ration cards, and even its own Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) — which would have ensured maximum coverage and inclusion — were excluded. Interestingly, EPIC was accepted in the last Special Intensive Revision of 2003, as The Indian Express first reported on August 22. In 2025, only those who could link themselves to the 2003 rolls — which were treated as presumptive proof of citizenship — were spared additional paperwork.Under the June 24 order, any person not listed in the 2003 electoral rolls — an estimated 2.93 crore individuals — had to submit at least one of 11 documents to prove their eligibility to vote. These included identity cards or pension orders issued to regular Central/ State government employees or pensioners; certificates or documents issued by government, local authorities, banks, post offices, LIC, or PSUs prior to July 1, 1987; birth certificates; passports; matriculation or educational certificates; permanent residence certificates; forest right certificates; OBC/ SC/ ST or caste certificates issued by competent authorities; entries in the National Register of Citizens (where applicable); family registers; and government-issued land or house allotment certificates.Read | Final electoral roll published | Bihar SIR: Voter list shrinks 6% to 7.42 crore, 68.5 lakh names deletedThe new requirements were immediately challenged in the Supreme Court. While the EC defended its stance, arguing that Aadhaar was not proof of citizenship and that there was “widespread issuance of bogus ration cards”, the Court nudged it to relax norms, eventually directing that Aadhaar be accepted as a “12th document”. Meanwhile, officials on the ground flagged difficulties faced by voters, particularly in rural areas, in producing the mandated documents.Faced with this feedback, the EC then adjusted its approach. It instructed its machinery to trace as many voters as possible back to the 2003 rolls — even indirectly, by establishing a relationship with someone on the 2003 list — to reduce the number of voters required to furnish proof of eligibility during the SIR. By the end, sources said, about 77 per cent of Bihar’s electors were linked to the 2003 rolls — around 52 per cent were found on the 2003 list, and another 25 per cent were identified as children or relatives of those on the rolls.For the remaining voters, officials tapped into existing government databases: family registers (known as vanshavali in Bihar), the Mahadalit Vikas Register (to identify all SCs on the rolls), and even the Bihar caste survey. Across the state’s 77,895 polling booths, there was a gradual shift in what began with confusion for booth level officers (BLOs) and electors alike – instead of pushing voters to furnish proof, officials were told to find ways of including them.The final roll saw 68.6 lakh deletions — mostly routine cases of death, migration or duplication — and 21.5 lakh additions, bringing the state’s voter list to 7.42 crore.Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read MoreRitika Chopra, an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience, serves as the Chief of the National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi. In her current role, she oversees the newspaper's coverage of government policies and education. Ritika closely tracks the Union Government, focusing on the politically sensitive Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative stories that have prompted government responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India’s largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd