Bihar launches India’s first mobile e-voting: How the mobile system works, who can register
The innovation is specifically designed for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, migrant workers, and others who face difficulties getting to polling stations
- Jun 28, 2025,
- Updated Jun 28, 2025 11:29 AM IST
Bihar has become the first state in India to allow voters to cast their ballots through a mobile app, ushering in a potential new era for the country’s democratic process. The pilot project, rolled out during municipal elections across six councils, aims to make voting accessible for those unable to reach polling booths and relies on advanced technologies to ensure security and transparency.
Bihar State Election Commissioner Deepak Prasad announced on Friday that “e-voting will occur today, i.e. June 28, 2025, during the municipal polls in six councils, three in Patna, and two in Rohtas and East Champaran.”
The innovation is specifically designed for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, migrant workers, and others who face difficulties getting to polling stations. According to Prasad, “10,000 electorates have registered for e-voting and 50,000 electorates will be able to exercise their right to vote via e-voting without visiting polling booths.”
How the E-Voting System Works
The new e-voting process hinges on technology designed to keep the democratic process secure and tamper-proof:
-
Blockchain technology ensures votes are recorded and stored in a secure, immutable system.
Advertisement -
Face recognition and matching help verify voter identities during login and voting.
-
Digital scanning and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) assist in accurately counting votes.
-
Audit trails similar to the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in EVMs help track votes.
-
Digital locks on EVM strongrooms provide additional physical security, even for traditional ballot processes running in parallel.
To prevent fraud, the system restricts access as follows:
-
Only two registered voters can log in from a single mobile number.
-
Each vote is cross-verified with the voter’s ID details to ensure legitimacy.
Prasad emphasised, “Strong digital security measures are in place and migrant labourers, migrant voters, the elderly, senior citizens, divyang voters, pregnant women, and seriously ill electorates will be able to exercise their votes using this process.”
How to Register for E-Voting in Bihar
Bihar’s State Election Commission has outlined a step-by-step process for voters interested in casting their ballot via mobile:
-
Download the e-SECBHR app (currently available only for Android devices).
-
Link the app to your mobile number as registered in the electoral roll.
-
Once verified, you’ll be able to vote either through:
-
The State Election Commission’s official website, or
-
The e-SECBHR app itself on polling day.
-
Officials stress the process is user-friendly, ensuring that even first-time digital voters can navigate it without confusion.
Bihar has become the first state in India to allow voters to cast their ballots through a mobile app, ushering in a potential new era for the country’s democratic process. The pilot project, rolled out during municipal elections across six councils, aims to make voting accessible for those unable to reach polling booths and relies on advanced technologies to ensure security and transparency.
Bihar State Election Commissioner Deepak Prasad announced on Friday that “e-voting will occur today, i.e. June 28, 2025, during the municipal polls in six councils, three in Patna, and two in Rohtas and East Champaran.”
The innovation is specifically designed for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, migrant workers, and others who face difficulties getting to polling stations. According to Prasad, “10,000 electorates have registered for e-voting and 50,000 electorates will be able to exercise their right to vote via e-voting without visiting polling booths.”
How the E-Voting System Works
The new e-voting process hinges on technology designed to keep the democratic process secure and tamper-proof:
-
Blockchain technology ensures votes are recorded and stored in a secure, immutable system.
Advertisement -
Face recognition and matching help verify voter identities during login and voting.
-
Digital scanning and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) assist in accurately counting votes.
-
Audit trails similar to the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in EVMs help track votes.
-
Digital locks on EVM strongrooms provide additional physical security, even for traditional ballot processes running in parallel.
To prevent fraud, the system restricts access as follows:
-
Only two registered voters can log in from a single mobile number.
-
Each vote is cross-verified with the voter’s ID details to ensure legitimacy.
Prasad emphasised, “Strong digital security measures are in place and migrant labourers, migrant voters, the elderly, senior citizens, divyang voters, pregnant women, and seriously ill electorates will be able to exercise their votes using this process.”
How to Register for E-Voting in Bihar
Bihar’s State Election Commission has outlined a step-by-step process for voters interested in casting their ballot via mobile:
-
Download the e-SECBHR app (currently available only for Android devices).
-
Link the app to your mobile number as registered in the electoral roll.
-
Once verified, you’ll be able to vote either through:
-
The State Election Commission’s official website, or
-
The e-SECBHR app itself on polling day.
-
Officials stress the process is user-friendly, ensuring that even first-time digital voters can navigate it without confusion.