The Election Commission of India on Saturday revised Tamil Nadu's April 23 voting percentage to 85.10%, a marginal decrease of 0.05% from the earlier estimate of 85.15%. This correction accounts for 28,672 voters, setting the current state total at 4.87 crore votes. The ECI has yet to release the final polling data, and the provisional figures remain subject to change. Notably, the Commission has recommended no re-polling in any booths across the state.
Chennai's Polling Percentage Surges
In contrast to the state-wide dip, Chennai's polling numbers saw a significant increase after the ECI's re-verification exercise added nearly 72,000 voters to the capital's 16 constituencies. This pushed the city's overall polling percentage from 83.7% to 86.2%. The ECI declared that scrutiny of all 75,064 polling stations resulted in no re-poll recommendations.
Statewide Voter Participation
According to the ECI's provisional data, 4,87,99,141 voters, representing 85.10% of the 5,73,43,291 registered electors, participated in the assembly election to elect representatives for the state's 17th assembly. The Commission arrived at this figure after revising its data at 3 PM on Saturday.
Karur District Tops the Chart
Karur district recorded the highest polling percentage at 92.65%, standing 7.55% above the state average. Notably, the Karur constituency, which witnessed a tragic stampede claiming 41 lives during TVK chief Vijay's roadshow in September last year, topped the state chart with 93.41% polling. Veerapandi constituency, in AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's native Salem district, followed closely with the second-highest turnout at 93.36%.
District-Wise Variations
While several districts such as Dharmapuri, The Nilgiris, Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram, and Sivaganga saw a meagre drop in polling, Chennai's 16 constituencies experienced a substantial 2.5% jump. After re-verifying data and adding postal ballots, the total votes polled in the capital rose to 24.41 lakh.
Postal Ballots and Constituency Additions
Postal ballots, cast by the elderly, essential service workers, election staff, and police personnel, accounted for 20,189 of these votes. Anna Nagar saw the highest increase with 6,888 additional votes, while Velachery and Kolathur recorded 4,300 and 3,900 additions, respectively. The lowest additions occurred in Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar.
Officials Comment on Turnout
GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran said, "SVEEP is the best event GCC has conducted. With more effort, we could have touched 90%, though factors like migration and urban apathy make exceeding that mark difficult in cities." He attributed the success to awareness efforts. ECI Deputy Director P Pawan stated, "No re-poll was recommended after scrutiny of the 75,064 polling stations."
Strong Room Security Measures
The ECI has directed returning officers to inspect strong rooms twice daily. District election officers will visit headquarters' strong rooms daily and those outside headquarters every three to four days. Additionally, candidates' representatives may set up camps at strong room premises to maintain constant watch.
