A marginal increase of 0.67 percentage point in voter turnout over the 73.37 percentage polling in 2009 has been registered in the State in Thursday’s elections for the 16th Lok Sabha.
The provisional turnout of 73.7 per cent in polling stations in the 20 parliamentary constituencies has gone up to 74.04 per cent, final figures published by the Election Commission on Friday show.
The highest voter turnout of 81.61 per cent in the State was recorded in the Vadakara parliamentary constituency, while Pathanamthitta registered the lowest, 66.01 per cent. According to the Election Commission, the polling percentage in the constituencies is as follows (the 2009 turnout in brackets): Kasaragod: 78.49 per cent (76.15 per cent), Kannur: 81.32 (80.94), Vadakara: 81.61 (80.4), Wayanad: 73.28 (74.71), Kozhikode: 79.80 (75.65), Malappuram: 71.27 (76.67), Ponnani: 73.83 (77.12), Palakkad: 75.39 (73.51), Alathur: 76.45 (75.28), Thrissur: 72.15 (69.43), Chalakudy: 76.94 (73.63), Ernakulam: 73.56 (72.78), Idukki: 70.66 (73.89), Kottayam: 71.70 (73.69), Alappuzha: 78.78 (79.37), Mavelikara: 71.35 (70.56), Pathanamthitta: 66.01 (65.86), Kollam: 72.12 (67.78), Attingal: 68.77 (66.25), and Thiruvananthapuram: 68.69 (65.74).
In the Assembly constituencies, the highest turnout of 86.61 per cent was recorded in the Kuttiyadi segment in the Vadakara parliamentary constituency and the lowest of 63.04 per cent in the Thiruvananthapuram Assembly segment in the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary constituency.
The failure to achieve a significant increase in voter turnout in the politically conscious State despite a month-long intense campaign by political parties, mobilisation of young voters, and a host of initiatives by the Election Commission has surprised the parties and the election commission alike. The scorching summer heat and the rain that lashed parts of the State on Thursday afternoon also kept the voters away.
EVMsThe electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been shifted to 32 select locations in the State where they will remain till the counting on May 16. A three-tier security has been thrown over the centres where the EVMs have been kept.
Re-poll orderedThe Election Commission has ordered re-polling in booth number 12 at Peerumade in the Idukki parliamentary constituency on Sunday. Commission sources said the re-polling was ordered as the EVM at the booth malfunctioned from 12 noon on Thursday. The re-polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. There are 1,138 voters in the booth as per the electoral rolls.
