1. ECI released detailed voter turnout data after the first and second phases of elections.
2. Voter turnout decreased in 84% of parliamentary constituencies compared to previous elections.
3. Declines in turnout varied across constituencies, signaling shifts in voter participation patterns.
New Delhi, May 01: Eleven days post the closure of the first phase of general elections and four days since the second phase, the Election Commission of India (ECI) officially disclosed disaggregated voter turnout data.
It revealed that 84% of parliamentary constituencies witnessed declines in turnout figures of varying degrees.
Phase 1 recorded a voter turnout of 66.14%, while Phase 2 saw 66.71%, as per the ECI data released on Tuesday. These figures show a decline compared to the 2019 elections, where the turnout was 69.4% and 69.6% for the respective phases.
The final turnout will only be available after adding postal ballots to the total vote count, clarified the poll body on Tuesday. In Phase 1, approximately 110 million out of 166.3 million eligible voters cast their votes across 102 constituencies. Similarly, in Phase 2, about 106 million out of 158.8 million eligible voters participated across 88 constituencies.
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Among the 176 seats allowing a comparison with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, varying declines were noted in 148.
However, comparison wasn’t feasible for 12 constituencies due to boundary redraws post-2019 elections. Additionally, Outer Manipur PC’s comparison couldn’t be made due to partial polling in both phases.
Out of the 19 states and UTs voting in the first phase where a comparison is possible, 16 saw a decline, while eight of the 11 provinces in the second phase experienced a decrease in turnout.
Though a slight turnout decrease might be compensated during postal ballot counting, it was not factored into the 2024 numbers, unlike the 2019 turnout data.
Among the 148 constituencies with Tuesday’s figures trailing those in 2019, 124 saw a decline of over two percentage points.
Notably, 57 constituencies experienced a decline of over five percentage points, with seven witnessing more than a 10-percentage-point decrease.
