State chief electoral officer S Chockalingam , in conversation with TOI's Nisha Nambiar, expects voter turnout to cross 70% this time as the officials have taken up awareness programmes, picked Wednesday for voting, and launched easier polling booth location systems, among other measures. Q: Will the voting percentage surpass the previous assembly elections? A: The number of electors has increased, so the number of participating voters will be higher. But, the final turnout percentage will depend on whether all registered electors vote.
The voting day is mid-week rather than close to the weekend to prevent voters from treating it as an extended holiday. Polling stations are closer to residential areas, there are assured minimum facilities for a hassle-free voting experience and a rise in home-voting accessibility. The postal ballot for polling and security staff may add another five lakh votes.
Celebrity events and digital display boards will encourage voters in seats with historically low turnout. Q: Do you expect to bridge the urban-rural voter divide? A: We are optimistic about increasing voter turnout in urban and rural areas. In the previous assembly polls, we registered a 61.
1% turnout, and we are hoping to reach 70% this time. We anticipate improved participation not only from the 15 urban assembly segments with low turnout but also from rural areas. A 9% increase is possible given the awareness campaigns taken up by election department officials, political parties, me.
