All requirements to conduct the Bihar elections within the stipulated time are under process at the Election Commission of India, state and district level. The election schedule is prepared to keep visible the logistics, weather conditions of the state, academic schedule, security levels, and pandemic status at that time and with all related law enforcement authorities, health officials, national, state, and district level departments. Necessary suggestions from all political parties are taken into consideration.
A reevaluation of approaches at different stages of the election is being conducted by a team of authorities within the Commission. The SVEEP (systematic voter education and electoral participation) procedure is being amended to confirm that no voter is left behind. The ECI guidelines for electoral machinery, voters, political parties, candidates, and other collaborators are being modified. The service of digital technologies in voter awareness, outreach, and training is being altered. The ECI will make greater use of digital and social media platforms, which will include mass SMS, social media, TV advertising, FM and radio, NVSP (national voter service portal), and also the Voter Helpline Application. The Voters Guide is being updated to reflect the COVID imperatives.
All necessary requirements are under process. The ECI has given directions to CEO, Bihar, to limit the number of electors on each voting point to a maximum of 1,000 so that social distancing is strictly followed. 33,797 additional polling stations ascertained and discovered to be created. This will reduce the general number of electors per place.
The commission has introduced measures such as Booth Application for much improved voter-queue management. An increased number of EVMs, also VVPATs, are provided. Campaign to enroll left-out citizens is launched. This will surely help those qualified migrants, who would have returned to the state and don’t seem to be registered as electors.
Optional postal ballot voting facilities are going to be provided to those senior citizens, people with disabilities, electors engaged in special services, and also COVID positive electors who are on home isolation or institutional quarantine.
Political parties are the supreme collaborators within the election procedure of course, after, the electors. The commission is often receptive to meetings with representatives of political parties whenever they time interval or after the invitation is sent to ask for their suggestions. Campaigning could be a major concern, so ECI is seeking its inputs.