Bihar leads nation with groundbreaking mobile phone voting app, ushering new era in electoral process
by Utsav RoyVoters interested in e-voting must download the e-SECBHR app on their mobile devices, currently compatible only with Android phones. Bihar is set to become the first state to allow voting through a mobile phone, announced State Election Commissioner Deepak Prasad on Friday evening ahead of Saturday’s polls for six municipal councils across three districts.
Voting will take place in Patna, Rohtas, and East Champaran districts. Bihar will also conduct Assembly elections later this year, though it remains uncertain if the mobile voting option will be extended to that election.
This mobile voting facility aims to assist individuals unable to visit polling stations on election day due to physical limitations or location challenges, such as senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and migrant voters, Prasad explained during the introduction of this initiative.
Voters must register for e-voting by downloading the e-SECBHR app and linking it to their registered mobile number as per the electoral roll. An awareness campaign was held from June 10 to 22 to educate voters about the new system.
The app, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in collaboration with the Bihar State Election Commission, ensures voting transparency by limiting login access to two registered voters per mobile number. Each vote’s authenticity will be verified against individual identification.
For those without smartphones, voting can also be done through the State Election Commission’s website. So far, approximately 10,000 voters have registered for e-voting, with an expected 50,000 voters to cast ballots remotely during Saturday’s polls.
To guarantee election security, Prasad emphasized robust digital safeguards, including blockchain technology, facial recognition, and scanning processes, making the system resistant to tampering. Additionally, an audit trail similar to the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) used in other elections has been implemented to maintain election integrity.