Turnout's turning out all right
elections starting from 1951, turnout went past 60% only on seven occasions, of which the 65% mark was crossed only in 2014 and 2019. For all the attention to 'declining' turnout, the first four phases of the ongoing polls have registered a score of 66.95%. In absolute numbers, 451 mn people have voted so far. Postal ballots will add up on counting day.
If this rate is maintained in the remaining three phases after today, 2024 could become only the third general election to get past 65%. Globally speaking, this turnout level measures in the top half of countries having democratic elections.
Phase 1 turnout has been 66.14%, which moved to 66.71% in phase 2 and 65.68% in phase 3. In the fourth phase, it nudged past the 2019 count with 69.2%, also indicating an incremental rise phase after phase. Everyone who has interest in the game appears to have pushed the envelope a bit after the initial phases.
EC has been bringing new interventions, many aimed at dealing with extreme heat conditions, after the small dip in turnout in the first phase. Major telecom providers have been marshalled to deliver celebrity messages coaxing voters to get out to vote. 'Voting invites', energetically pushed by EC, have permeated all networks — banks, post offices, petrol pumps, airports and in-flight messages, railway stations, and even at stadiums during IPL matches. All forms of carriages — print, TV and digital — are flush with voting awareness content. Popular aggregators are in the act too, at their own cost. Playful incentives
