At long last, EC releases final polling figures for 2 phases
Numbers 6 percentage points higher than the figure given at end of polling days
Following businessline’s report on non-disclosure of polling percentage data for the first two phases, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday released the figures.
Voter turnout was over 66 per cent in the first two phases.
This is nearly 6 percentage points higher than the preliminary number made public at the end of the date of the polling.
For the first phase of polling for 102 seats in 21 States and Union Territories, held on April 19, the Commission reported approximately 60 per cent polling until 7 pm.
For the second phase, on April 26 for 88 seats in 13 States and Union Territories, it pegged the turnout at around 61 per cent.
LONG SILENCE
However, even 10 days after voting in the first phase and 3 days after polling in the second, the Commission had not given the final figures but was giving only “approximate” data. businessline, on April 30, reported this, leading to an uproar on social media. The report, quoting a top ocial of the Commission, said that the final polling percentage for two phases was 66.14 and 66.71 per cent respectively, although this figure was not released ocially at the time.
The long delay in releasing the final figures was not explained.
About data collection, the Commission said that Parliamentary and Assembly constituency-wise data are updated regularly on the Voter Turnout app as well as in the IT system by returning ocers through Form 17C.
A copy of Form 17C is also provided to every polling station for all candidates through their polling agents.
POSTAL BALLOT
The final turnout number is only made available postcounting with the counting of postal ballots and its addition to the total vote count.
Postal ballot includes those given to service voters, absentee voters (85 years or older), persons with disabilities, persons in essential services, and those on election duty.