Patna: In a landmark development for India’s democratic process, Bihar has become the first state to introduce e-Voting through a mobile application in its urban local body elections. The initiative is being rolled out today during polling in six Nagar Panchayats and 36 municipal bodies, marking a historic step toward digitizing elections.
According to the State Election Commission, voting began at 7:00 AM and will continue until 5:00 PM, while e-Voters—those opting to vote through the mobile app—were allowed to cast their votes from home until 1:00 PM.
State Election Commissioner Deepak Prasad hailed the move as a “historic day for Bihar,” stating that the adoption of e-Voting reflects a major leap in electoral reforms aimed at enhancing participation and accessibility. “This mobile-based e-Voting system supports our mission of inclusive voting and may prove to be a vital tool to combat voter apathy, especially in urban areas,” he added.
📱 डिजिटल भारत की ओर बिहार का सशक्त कदम!
श्रीमती बीभा कुमारी ने किया देश का पहला ई-वोट —
स्थानीय निकाय चुनाव में ई-वोटिंग से रचा नया इतिहास।
✅ सुविधा, सुरक्षा और सशक्त भागीदारी का प्रतीक।#secbihar #firstvoter #loktantrakafigitalroop #ProudMoment @TripathiiPankaj… pic.twitter.com/1GEen5iqnP— State Election Commission, Bihar (@SECBihar) June 28, 2025
The mobile app-based e-Voting platform was developed under strict protocols to ensure secure authentication and data privacy. Eligible voters could pre-register, verify their identity through Aadhaar-linked credentials, and vote remotely through the app.
This e-Voting model builds on Bihar’s recent advancements in electoral technology. The State Election Commission has already pioneered:
- Face Recognition System (FRS) for voter authentication,
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in vote counting, and
- Digital locking mechanisms for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
These innovations have positioned Bihar as a trailblazer in integrating technology into democratic processes at the grassroots level.
Election officials noted that this pilot program could serve as a scalable model for future implementations across India, especially as the nation explores options for remote voting to accommodate internal migrants and improve urban voter turnout.
The results of today’s polling and performance of the e-Voting system will be closely monitored by electoral bodies and governance experts nationwide.
