New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will now have colour photographs of candidates alongside their names and party symbols, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Wednesday, adding that the new design will be first implemented in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. In a letter to chief electoral officers, the Commission said the change was aimed at "making the ballot paper more readable" and "minimising confusion among voters." Until now, EVM ballots displayed the candidate's name, party symbol, and in some cases the party name, but without photographs. The new design will include four elements for each candidate: name, photograph in colour, party symbol, and party name in Hindi and English. For independents, the word "Independent" will be printed alongside their names. The Commission said that photographs will be sourced from nomination papers to ensure uniformity. "The ballot paper is a critical link between voters and candidates. Readability and clarity are paramount," the Commission wrote, stressing that even minor errors in the layout could create confusion at polling stations. Bihar has been chosen for the roll-out as the state is due to hold assembly elections later this year, officials said, adding that the move will also serve as a test case before the new format is adopted nationwide. Until now, photographs were either absent or in black and white. It has specified that a candidate's face must occupy three-fourths of the allotted photo space to ensure visibility. The Commission has also moved to make serial numbers more prominent. The physical attributes of the ballot paper have been standardised as well. For parliamentary elections, the paper will be white, and for assembly elections it will be pink....