Bihar will hold Assembly elections in two phases — on November 6 and 11 — while vote counting is scheduled for November 14. Ahead of the polls, the Election Commission has issued a series of guidelines and procedures to ensure smooth conduct of the elections. The poll body is also disseminating information to help voters cast their ballots with ease.
The Election Commission on Friday announced that voters whose names appear on the electoral rolls can use any one of 12 approved photo identity documents as an alternative to the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) while casting their vote.
EPIC cards issued to nearly all voters in electoral roll, says EC
The poll body said EPICs were issued to nearly all the voters in Bihar and directions were issued to CEOs to deliver these cards to all new voters within 15 days of the release of the final electoral roll.
However, the EC said there were 12 approved documents which could be used for casting vote.
List of 12 documents approved by EC
- Aadhaar Card
- MNREGA Job Card
- Passbook with photograph issued by Bank or Post Office
- Health Insurance Smart Card (under Ministry of Labour or Ayushman Bharat)
- Driving Licence
- PAN Card
- Smart Card under NPR
- Indian Passport
- Pension document with photograph
- Service Identity Card issued by government or public sector undertakings
- Official ID card issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs
- Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card
The Commission reiterated that having one’s name on the electoral roll is mandatory for voting. Special arrangements will also be made at polling stations to facilitate the identification of women observing purdah, ensuring their privacy in the presence of lady polling officers.
EC bans AI-generated videos
Earlier on Thursday, the EC imposed a ban on the use of AI-generated videos during election campaigns to prevent the spread of misinformation ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls.
The directive applies to political parties, contesting candidates, and all entities engaged in election-related activities.
The Commission has clarified that the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate voter opinion or circulate deceptive content will amount to a breach of the Model Code of Conduct.
"This means that no candidate will be able to use AI videos in any form to campaign against their opponents," the Commission stated.
