Lok Sabha election on its way to set a record in terms of voter turnout

NEW DELHI: The ongoing Lok Sabha election is on its way to set a record in terms of voter turnout, going by the figures of the six phases of polling so far. According to consolidated data available with the Election Commission of India, the 349 Lok Sabha constituencies that have already gone to polls, registered a record voter turnout of 66%, almost 9 percentage points higher than in 2009 general elections.

If this trend continues, the 16th Lok Sabha election could beat the 1998 voter turnout of 61.97%, the highest polling percentage recorded in the country so far. Akshay Rout, who heads the voter awareness division of the Election Commission, attributed the increase to a combination of factors.

“Firstly, the myth of urban apathy has been busted with this election as the voter turnout has significantly increased in cities, including Bhopal, Indore, Mumbai and Jaipur, among others. Secondly, female voters seem to be coming out in much larger numbers to exercise their franchise. As of now, ten states and union territories have registered a higher turnout for women than male voters,” Rout told ET.

The trend of increasing voter participation is consistent with turnout registered in assembly elections in five states last year. The EC has undertaken several steps over the last five years to improve turnout, ranging from undertaking awareness campaigns and roping in Bollywood icons for advertisement campaigns to special voter enrolment drives and s p e c i a l drives to clean up electoral rolls.