First Phase Polling: decline in voter turnout worries EC

decline in voting percentage of 2024 first phase elections

The first phase, the biggest phase of the seven-phase elections to the 18th Lok Sabha concluded on Friday (April 19). Voter turnout is down 4 percent from last year (2019). The Election Commission of India is worried about this. On Friday, 16 crore voters exercised their right to vote in 102 constituencies, with a voter turnout of 65.5%. This is down from 70% recorded in 2019.

In Tamil Nadu with 39 seats, the voter turnout decreased by almost 3 percent from 72.44% to 69.46%. In five-seat Uttarakhand, the voter turnout fell by nearly six percent from 61.88% to 55.89%. In Rajasthan, 12 out of 25 seats has gone to polls on Friday, with voter turnout falling from 64% to 57.65%.

In Chhattisgarh’s single-seat Bastar, polling increased by over 1% from 66.26% to 67.53%. Polling was held for the first time in 56 villages of Bastar. The polling percentage also increased from 71% to 74% in both seats in Meghalaya.

The Election Commission is worried about the fact that the trend of the first phase is going to continue for the remaining six phases. The same trend has continued in the 2014 and 2019 Parliament elections. The officials are now finding ways to bring the voters to bring the voters to polling booths. They have already roped in 10 influential persons as brand ambassadors for the elections.