Turnout dips by at least 2 percentage points in 30 seats
Nearly 30 constituencies recorded a dip of at least two percentage points in the turnout this general election, compared to the previous Lok Sabha elections in the State.
According to data provided by the Election Commission (EC) at 7.08 p.m. on Saturday, the turnout in the State stood at 69.46%. Despite several programmes by the EC and non-governmental organisations to raise awareness on voting, the polling percentage this time was relatively low. The turnouts stood at 72.47% in 2019, 73.74% in 2014, and 73.02% in the 2009 general elections.
An analysis of polling percentages in 2019 and 2024 shows only a marginal change of nearly one percentage point, either an increase or a decrease, in seven Lok Sabha constituencies. There is a two percentage point increase in turnout in Vellore, where polling was held three months after the original schedule in 2019 due to the alleged excess use of money.
High turnout
The Dharmapuri constituency, which topped the polling percentage this election, has witnessed a turnout of over 80% for the third consecutive time in a Lok Sabha election. However, nearly 30 constituencies recorded at least a two percentage-point reduction compared to 2019. All constituencies in the Cauvery delta and the southern districts witnessed lower turnouts in respect of percentage points. Thoothukudi recorded the maximum reduction of nearly 9.5 percentage points compared to 2019. Other seats that witnessed around ve percentage-point reductions include Sivaganga, Theni, Nagapattinam (SC) and Chennai Central.
Duplication woes
Former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami said that duplication of names in electoral rolls could have played a signicant role in the reduction of polling percentage. “Efforts were made by the EC in Tamil Nadu and Kerala more than a decade ago to verify the voter list using various conventional methods. But now, the EC has Aadhaar as a common authentic source to verify names on rolls, provided that voters link their Aadhaar with the voter ID.”
He further said that conducting polls on Mondays and Fridays in metropolitan cities, and the scorching summer heat could have impacted the turnout.