The dates for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections have been announced. The Election Commission (EC) on Monday, October 6, announced the dates for by-elections to eight assembly seats in Bihar and seven other states.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that elections for the 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly will be held in two phases. The first phase of voting will be held on November 6 and the second phase on November 11. By-elections to eight assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Mizoram, and Odisha will also be held on November 11. The results of the Bihar elections and these by-elections will be declared on November 14.
Can I vote without a voter ID card?
The Election Commission has clarified that voters must have an Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), or Voter ID card, to vote. However, if a voter does not have a Voter ID, they can cast their vote by presenting one of the following valid ID proofs.
Valid ID to vote
- Voter ID Card (EPIC)
- Passport
- Driving License
- Service ID card (with photograph) issued to government employees
- Bank or Post Office Passbook (with photograph)
- PAN card
- Smart cards issued under NPR (National Population Register)
- MNREGA Job Card (with photo)
- Health Insurance Card issued under the scheme of the Ministry of Labour
- Pension documents (with photographs)
- Government ID card of a Member of Parliament (MP), Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) or Member of Legislative Council (MLC)
- Aadhar card
The Election Commission has also clarified that the photo voter slip cannot be used as a form of identification, meaning it cannot be used alone to cast a vote. The term of the current Bihar Legislative Assembly expires on November 22, 2025. The state has a total of 243 assembly seats, of which 38 are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and 2 for Scheduled Tribes (ST). This time, the Election Commission is implementing several new technologies and regulations for the convenience of voters to ensure a transparent and smooth voting process.
