Patna, November 06: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 recorded a historic voter turnout of 64.66%, the highest ever for the state so far. The polling covered 121 assembly constituencies across 18 districts, with over 3.75 crore eligible voters.
With the second phase of polling scheduled for November 11, officials say Bihar could witness the highest voter turnout in its electoral history, reflecting growing public enthusiasm and confidence in the democratic process.
According to the ECI, the polling process was conducted in a festive and peaceful atmosphere, thanks to several new voter-friendly initiatives. These included colored photos of candidates on EVMs, mobile deposit facilities at polling stations, Voter Information Slips (VIS) for easy readability and better crowd management allowing up to 1,200 voters per booth. The Commission also arranged wheelchairs and e-rickshaw services for PwD voters to ensure inclusive participation.
Over 4 lakh polling staff were deployed across 45,341 polling stations, supported by 67,902 polling agents from 1,314 candidates. In a first, polling was live-streamed from 100% of stations, while international observers from six countries, including South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Belgium and Colombia, praised Bihar’s elections as transparent, efficient and participative.
The ECI said that the high turnout reflects the public’s strong faith in democracy and the success of efforts to make voting a pleasant and accessible experience for every citizen.
Voter Participation Since 1951
In Bihar, voter participation has shown varying trends over the decades. The lowest turnout in the state’s Assembly elections was recorded in 1951–52 at 42.6%, while the highest turnout was seen in 2000 at 62.57%.
Subsequent elections witnessed fluctuating participation levels - 43.24% in 1957, 44.47% in 1962, 51.51% in 1967, 52.79% in both 1969 and 1972, and 50.51% in 1977. The turnout improved to 57.28% in 1980, slightly declined to 56.27% in 1985, then rose again to 62.04% in 1990 and 61.79% in 1995.
In the 2000s, Bihar saw 46.5% turnout in February 2005, 45.85% in October 2005, and 52.73% in 2010. The 2015 elections recorded a turnout of 56.91%, followed by 57.29% in 2020.
