Records indicate that a comprehensive review and update of the electoral roll

Records indicate that a comprehensive review and update of the electoral roll in Bihar was completed by January 2025, revealing a well-maintained voter list.

Officials continued to update the roll until June, but abruptly, the Election Commission of India declared it faulty, leading to an unprecedented initiative to verify the voter base from the ground up. This has resulted in significant disruption.
On June 11, 2024, Tabrej Alam, a resident of Meghua village in East Champaran district, submitted a request to a booth-level officer to remove Hussain Sheikh's name from the electoral roll after Hussain's passing. By November, election officials confirmed Tabrej's identity and his request was validated. Consequently, by January 2025, Hussain's name was officially removed from Bihar's voter list. However, just five months later, Tabrej was unexpectedly required by the Election Commission of India to provide documentary proof of his existence, Indian citizenship, and regular residence in his village to maintain his eligibility to vote in the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.
Thousands of citizens in Bihar, like Tabrej, who participated in one or more of the last five general and assembly elections, now face the urgent task of producing documentation to establish their voting rights. Those unable to do so risk being categorized as individuals of questionable citizenship under the law. This situation arises from a sudden decision by the Election Commission of India on June 24 to completely overhaul the electoral rolls in Bihar, a process it has termed a Special Intensive Revision. As a result, millions of voters registered since 2003 are now required to validate their citizenship, identity, and principal place of residence anew, and they must do so promptly.

Additionally, many who registered before 2003 must also provide proof of their enrollment. The Reporters' Collective has investigated the records and concluded that the Election Commission's decision represented a drastic reversal that shocked the state's electoral system. Evidence shows that state officials had been consistently updating the electoral rolls using legally mandated and established practices right up until days before the June 24 order.

In fact, between June 2024 and January 2025, the electoral machinery in Bihar completed a revision labeled the Special Summary Revision 2025, as documented by electronic records maintained by the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer. This contradicts the Election Commission's insinuations that the existing electoral database was in such disarray that it necessitated a complete overhaul. The evidence we examined suggests that, contrary to the claims made by the Election Commission, as late as June 2025—just days before the revamp decision—the Election Commission and its officials in Bihar had acknowledged the validity of the electoral roll prepared for the 2024 Parliamentary elections. They were actively using this roll for the routine updating, adding, and removing of voters.