The Election Commission of India has introduced fresh guidelines for the layout of electronic voting machine (EVM) ballot papers, beginning with the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Under the updated rules, provisioned in Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, candidates’ photographs will now be printed in colour, replacing the earlier black-and-white or no-photo versions. The change is aimed at making candidate identification clearer for voters.
The new design stipulates that the candidate’s photograph will cover three-quarters of the allotted space, ensuring that voters can see the faces more distinctly. In addition, the serial number of each candidate will be printed in a larger format for better visibility.
Previously, ballot papers only carried basic details such as the candidate’s name, party symbol, and serial number, with photographs either absent, monochrome, or relatively small.
Also Read : Voters may not need documents for SIR: EC
By enhancing clarity in both design and print, the poll body hopes to make ballots more voter-friendly and reduce confusion inside polling booths.
Officials said the changes are designed to strengthen voter confidence by making it easier to match candidates with their photographs and serial numbers.
The decision to roll out the revised ballot paper format in Bihar coincides with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls, which has sparked a major political controversy.
On August 18, the Election Commission published a draft list showing that around 65 lakh names had been deleted as part of the SIR exercise.
Opposition parties have challenged the deletions in the Supreme Court, alleging that lakhs of genuine voters have been removed from the rolls without proper verification.
The electoral roll revision remains a flashpoint between the Centre and the Election Commission on one side and opposition parties on the other, even as the updated EVM ballot design marks a significant shift in the voting process.
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