EVMs to show color images of candidates starting with Bihar polls

Beginning with the Bihar Assembly election, poll papers on the Electronic Voting Machines will show color images of the candidates, the Election Commission of India (ECI) mentioned.

The revised tips for EVM poll papers issued by the ECI on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) additionally mandated that the serial numbers of candidates shall be displayed extra prominently.

The tips have been revised below Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 — pertaining to the design and printing of EVM poll papers — to reinforce their readability and readability.

Also Read | Supreme Court ropes in political events to assist ECI return Bihar’s excluded voters to electoral roll

The new tips say, “Henceforth, images of candidates can be printed in color on the EVM Ballot Paper. The candidate’s face will occupy three-fourths of the photograph area for higher visibility”.

“The upgraded EVM Ballot Papers can be used within the upcoming elections, beginning with Bihar,” the ECI added in an official assertion.

In a be aware issued to the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories, the ECI mentioned the images of the candidates shall be printed in color, except the candidate has offered solely black and white images. The {photograph} printed on the poll paper will measure 2 cm in breadth and a pair of.5 cm in peak.

The serial numbers of candidates/NOTA can be printed within the worldwide type of Indian numerals. The font dimension can be 30 and in daring for readability.

For Assembly elections, pink-coloured paper of specified RGB values shall be used.

The be aware mentioned the names of no more than 15 candidates shall be organized on one sheet of a poll paper and NOTA choice can be positioned after the final title of the panel.

If the variety of contesting candidates along with the NOTA choice is lower than 16, the area beneath the panel after this shall be saved clean, the ECI mentioned.

Printing of EVM poll paper shall be achieved ideally at a authorities or semi-government printing press. However, in case a authorities/semi-government press will not be out there or doesn’t have the required capability, non-public printing press(es) with required capability could be chosen after following due process and satisfactory provision and security of the method shall be ensured as per the prevailing directions, the be aware mentioned.