TL;DR: Anganwadi workers will help verify the identity of burqa- or veil-clad women voters at Bihar polling stations during the November 2025 assembly elections to ensure proper ID checks while maintaining privacy.
Key Announcements
Identity Verification Support:
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced that 90,712 Anganwadi workers will be deployed to assist women poll officials in verifying the identity of women voters wearing burqas or ghunghats at polling stations in Bihar.
Reason for the Move:
The decision follows a request made by Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal on October 4, 2025, asking the Election Commission to ensure proper identity checks for burqa-clad voters to prevent impersonation.
Election Schedule:
Voting for the 243 Bihar Assembly constituencies will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results on November 14.
Privacy Measures:
Identity checks will be carried out by women staff in private enclosures at polling booths to respect the dignity and privacy of women voters wearing face coverings.
CEC Statement:
“Our Anganwadi workers will be deployed at all polling booths for verifying the identity of burqa-clad women. The guidelines of the commission are very clear about this... and they will be strictly followed,” - Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
Logistics and Scale:
The Election Commission will set up 76,386 polling stations for over 1.26 crore voters. Anganwadi workers will be present at all stations to support identity verification processes.
Additional Facilities:
Polling booths will also include separate toilets, ramps, and oral rehydration salts to improve accessibility and voter comfort.