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New Delhi, April 05: Ahead of the polling in the ongoing General Elections 2024, Election Commission of
India (ECI) has accelerated efforts to enhance voter turnout in Parliamentary
Constituencies (PCs) with a history of low poll participation in previous General
Elections. In a day long ‘Conference on Low Voter Turnout’ held today at Nirvachan
Sadan, New Delhi, Municipal Commissioners from major cities and select District
Election Officers (DEOs) from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh deliberated together to chart a
path towards enhancing voter engagement and participation in identified urban and
rural PCs. The Conference was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv
Kumar along with Election Commissioners Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Shri Sukhbir Singh
Sandhu. On the occasion, a booklet on voter apathy was released by the Commission.
11 States/UTs namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, NCT of Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand,
Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, J&K and Jharkhand had a voter turnout lower
than the national average of 67.40% in the 2019 General Elections to the Lok Sabha.
Out of the total 50 Rural PCs across 11 states identified with lower voter turnout than
the national average in 2019, 40 PCs are from Uttar Pradesh (22 PCs) and Bihar
(18PCs). In UP, 51- Phulpur PC recorded the lowest turnout of 48.7%, while in Bihar,
29-Nalanda PC recorded lowest turnout of 48.79%.
While addressing the Municipal Commissioners and DEOs, CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar said
that a total of 266 Parliamentary Constituencies ( 215 Rural & 51 Urban) with low
voter turnout have been identified and all concerned Municipal Commissioners, DEOs
and State CEOs have been called today to find ways to reach out to voters in targeted
manner. He emphasized on a three pronged strategy of providing facilitation at polling
stations like queue management, shelter parking in congested areas; targeted
outreach & communication; and involvement of critical stakeholders like RWAs, local
icons and youth influencers to persuade people to come to polling stations.
CEC Kumar directed them to prepare a booth wise action plan for enhanced
participation and behaviour change. He asked all MCs and DEOs to prepare different
strategies for urban and rural areas and plan interventions accordingly for different
target audiences. He emphasized that the “ One size fits all” approach will not yield
results. CEC Kumar also urged the authorities to act in a manner that instils pride
among the voters in participating in the democratic festivities. He called for a
movement in which people are self-motivated to vote.
The conference, a collaborative effort between the ECI and key stakeholders, focused
on crafting a comprehensive action plan to address voter apathy, streamline logistical
operations, and increase voter turnout. Discussions were centred on critical issues
such as optimizing queue management at polling stations, facilitating voting in
high-rise buildings, and leveraging the influential Systematic Voters’ Education and
Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme.
With a keen emphasis on partnership and inclusivity, the ECI urged Municipal
Commissioners and DEOs to actively contribute to the initiative. Urban specific
hurdles to increased voter turnout were identified and targeted city specific
interventions were planned and the officers were encouraged to develop tailored,
region-specific outreach programs that resonate with the unique needs and
demographics of their constituencies. In line with this vision, the ECI outlined an
array of innovative voter awareness campaigns under SVEEP, including:
● Rolling out public transport and sanitation vehicles adorned with essential
election messages.
● Incorporating voter awareness messages into utility bills for widespread
dissemination.
● Collaborating with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and voter awareness
forums.
● Hosting informative sessions at popular public spaces such as parks, markets,
and malls.
● Organizing engaging events like marathons, walkathons, and cyclothons to
ignite voter interest.
● Utilizing various platforms including hoardings, digital spaces, kiosks, and
Common Service Centres (CSCs) to disseminate voter education materials.
● Leveraging the power of social media platforms for extensive voter outreach
and engagement.
The Conference was attended by Municipal Commissioners of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai,
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Patna Sahib, Lucknow and
Kanpur as well as select District Election Officers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. CEO
Bihar, CEO UttarPradesh, CEO Maharashtra and CEO Delhi also attended the
conference with CEOs of 7 states namely Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Punjab joined virtually.
Background:
Approximately 297 million eligible voters did not vote in the General Elections to Lok
Sabha in 2019 underscoring the scale of the problem which calls for proactive
measures. Furthermore, recent elections across various states have highlighted trends
of urban apathy towards the electoral process, warranting targeted interventions and
collaborative endeavours.
Of the 50 PCs with the lowest voter turnout in the 2019 GE to Lok Sabha, 17 were
found to be in Metropolitans or major cities reflecting an unfortunate trend of urban
apathy. The same trend has been seen in the past few State Assembly Elections. In
General Gujarat State Legislative Assembly elections 2022, Gandhidham AC in
Kachchh district, which has industrial establishments, recorded lowest polling
percentage of 48.14%, a sharp decline of almost 6% than the last election in 2017,
recording a new low. Similarly, in GE to SLA of Himachal Pradesh 2022, the Shimla AC
in Shimla District (State Capital) recorded the lowest polling percentage of 63.48%
against the State Average Poll % of 75.78%. It has been observed that all rural
Assembly Constituencies have voted more in percentage terms than urban Assembly
Constituencies of Surat. The difference in lowest urban AC of Surat with highest rural
AC is as much as 25%. Similarly, in the State Legislative Assembly Election of
Karnataka 2023, AC Bommanahalli in Bangalore (Bangalore South) recorded the lowest
VTR of 47.5% as compared to State Average VTR of 73.84%.
List of 50 PCs with lowest VTR in General Election to Lok Sabha – 2019
Sr.
No.
State Name PC
NO.
PC NAME PC VTR (%) State VTR (%)
1 Jammu & Kashmir 3 Anantnag 8.98 44.97
2 Jammu & Kashmir 2 Srinagar 14.43 44.97
3 Jammu & Kashmir 1 Baramulla 34.60 44.97
4 Telangana 9 Hyderabad 44.84 62.77
5 Maharashtra 24 Kalyan 45.31 61.02
6 Bihar 30 Patna Sahib 45.80 57.33
7 Telangana 8 Secundrabad 46.50 62.77
8 Uttar Pradesh 51 Phulpur 48.70 59.21
9 Bihar 29 Nalanda 48.79 57.33
10 Bihar 35 Karakat 49.09 57.33
11 Maharashtra 25 Thane 49.39 61.02
12 Telangana 7 Malkajgiri 49.63 62.77
13 Bihar 39 Nawada 49.73 57.33
14 Maharashtra 34 Pune 49.89 61.02
15 Maharashtra 31 Mumbai South 51.59 61.02
16 Uttar Pradesh 43 Kanpur 51.65 59.21
17 Bihar 36 Jahanabad 51.76 57.33
18 Bihar 32 Arrah 51.81 57.33
19 Uttar Pradesh 52 Allahabad 51.83 59.21
20 Uttar Pradesh 58 Shrawasti 52.08 59.21
21 Uttar Pradesh 59 Gonda 52.20 59.21
22 Uttar Pradesh 60 Domariyaganj 52.26 59.21
23 Uttarakhand 3 Almora 52.31 61.88
24 Maharashtra 23 Bhiwandi 53.20 61.02
25 Telangana 10 CHEVELLA 53.25 62.77
26 Uttar Pradesh 78 Bhadohi 53.53 59.21
27 Uttar Pradesh 39 Pratapgarh 53.56 59.21
28 Bihar 37 Aurangabad 53.67 57.33
29 Maharashtra 29 Mumbai North central 53.68 61.02
30 Karnataka 26 Bangalore South 53.70 68.81
31 Bihar 6 Madhubani 53.81 57.33
32 Bihar 19 Maharajganj 53.82 57.33
33 Bihar 33 Buxar 53.95 57.33
34 Uttar Pradesh 37 Amethi 54.08 59.21
35 Uttar Pradesh 62 Sant Kabir Nagar 54.20 59.21
36 Karnataka 25 Bangalore central 54.32 68.81
37 Uttar Pradesh 72 Ballia 54.35 59.21
38 Maharashtra 27 Mumbai North West 54.37 61.02
39 Uttar Pradesh 57 Kaiserganj 54.39 59.21
40 Madhya Pradesh 2 BHIND 54.53 71.20
41 Uttar Pradesh 50 Kaushambi 54.56 59.21
42 Bihar 34 Sasaram (SC) 54.57 57.33
43 Bihar 18 Siwan 54.73 57.33
44 Karnataka 24 Bangalore North 54.76 68.81
45 Uttar Pradesh 35 Lucknow 54.78 59.21
46 Uttar Pradesh 68 Lalganj 54.86 59.21
47 Bihar 28 Munger 54.90 57.33
48 Maharashtra 10 Nagpur 54.94 61.02
49 Uttarakhand 2 Garhwal 55.17 61.88
50 Rajasthan 10 KARAULI-DHOLPUR 55.18 66.34
Note: PCs corresponding to rows with coloured background are identified as PCs of Metro or Major Cities.
In response to these challenges, the ECI has implemented a suite of initiatives aimed
at reinvigorating voter engagement and participation, including:
● Devising a Turnout Implementation Plan (TIP) for targeted interventions at
polling stations.
● Crafting district-specific themes for polling stations catering to diverse
demographic groups.
● Collaborating with key stakeholders to expand voter outreach and awareness
efforts.
● Formalizing electoral literacy in the education system through strategic
partnerships.
● Engaging National Icons to connect with and inspire young voters.
● Launching integrated multimedia campaigns and targeted initiatives like

MeraVoteDeshkeLiye.

● Ensuring updated electoral rolls and accessibility-friendly infrastructure at
polling stations.
● Promoting the use of IT applications for enhanced citizen participation and
transparency.
● Providing continuous training to election officials for the seamless conduct of
elections.
The Election Commission of India is committed to foster a vibrant democracy by
actively engaging citizens and removing barriers to voter participation.