Representative image of women voters outside a polling booth.
Credit: PTI File Photo
The Election Commission (EC) announced on Friday that nearly 97 crore Indians will be eligible to vote in this year's Lok Sabha elections. The EC noted a significant addition of over two crore young electors aged between 18 to 29 years to the voters' list.
Comparing to the last Lok Sabha polls in 2019, there has been a six per cent increase in registered voters, with the total then standing at 91.20 crore. The EC highlighted India's status as having the largest electorate globally, with 96.88 crore individuals registered to vote in the upcoming General Elections.
The gender ratio has seen a positive shift from 940 in 2023 to 948 in 2024, as reported by the poll panel. The EC noted the inclusion of over 2.63 crore new electors, with women surpassing newly-enrolled male voters by over 15 per cent, totalling around 1.41 crore.
Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, female voters have increased by 9.3% this year, reaching 43.1 crore, according to data from the EC as reported by The Times of India. In comparison, male voters have grown by 6.9% to 46.4 crore. Women voters outnumber male voters in twelve states and Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala, per the report.
Additionally, the number of third-gender voters increased from 39.68 thousand in 2014 to over 48,000. Moreover, more than two crore young electors, spanning the 18-19 and 20-29-year age groups, have been added to the electoral roll.
Efforts were made to support persons with disabilities (PwD) by identifying around 88.35 lakh such voters in the electoral roll database, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity on polling day. In 2019, voters identifying as persons with disabilities stood at 45.64 lakh.
Furthermore, 1.85 crore voters have been identified as above 80 years of age, with the total number of 'centenarian' (those aged 100 years and above) voters standing at 2.38 lakh. The EC considers those who are 80 years and above as senior citizens.
As of February 8, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of voters at 15.30 crore, while Lakshadweep has over 57,000 registered voters.
The voter turnout has seen a significant increase over the years, with 45 per cent recorded in the first Lok Sabha elections, compared to 67 per cent in the last parliamentary polls in 2019.
(With PTI inputs)