The ongoing heatwave in Punjab appeared to have little impact on voter turnout during the municipal corporation and municipal council elections, with polling remaining steady through the six-hour voting window, according to data from the Punjab State Election Commission.
Typically, turnout dips during peak heat hours between noon and 3pm, but this time the trend remained largely uniform. An initial 13.5% polling was recorded between 8am and 10am. This rose by 18.1% in the next two hours, taking the cumulative turnout to 31.6% by noon.
Between noon and 2pm—when temperatures were at their highest—another 14% turnout was recorded, pushing the cumulative figure to 45.6%, indicating no sharp decline despite the heat. Two-hourly data for the 2pm–4pm slot was not available, while the cumulative turnout for the final three hours till 5pm was awaited at the time of filing this report.
Intense Heat Across Punjab
Punjab sizzled under intense heat, with maximum temperatures ranging between 40°C and 45°C. Bathinda recorded the highest at 45.8°C, followed by Patiala (43.4°C), Faridkot and Ludhiana (42.5°C each), Abohar (42.4°C), Amritsar (41.6°C) and Gurdaspur (41.5°C).
Steady Voting Despite Scorching Conditions
The data from the election commission highlights that voters turned out consistently, undeterred by the scorching sun. The uniform polling pattern suggests that residents were determined to exercise their franchise, even as temperatures soared. This resilience is noteworthy, as extreme heat often leads to lower turnout in the afternoon hours.
Election officials had made arrangements for drinking water and shade at polling stations to mitigate the heat's impact. The steady turnout indicates that these measures were effective in encouraging voters to participate.
