The Election Commission announced on Friday that nearly 97 crore Indians will be eligible to vote in this year’s Lok Sabha elections, marking a significant increase from the previous polls. Over two crore young electors aged between 18 to 29 years have been added to the voters’ list, showcasing a growing participation of youth in the electoral process.
With a six percent increase in registered voters since 2019, India now boasts the largest electorate in the world, with 96.88 crore people registered to vote, as stated by the EC. The gender ratio has also improved, rising from 940 in 2023 to 948 in 2024.
The Commission said its focus is on ensuring the purity and health of the electoral roll, along with transparency in the revision process. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar highlighted the involvement of political parties at every stage of the revision process during a press conference in Pune.
Over 2.63 crore new electors have been included in the electoral roll, with women constituting a majority, surpassing newly-enrolled male voters by over 15 percent. The EC also prioritized support for persons with disabilities (PwD), flagging around 88.35 lakh such voters in the electoral roll database to ensure accessibility and inclusivity on polling day.
Furthermore, a cleanup process was undertaken to maintain the integrity of the electoral process, resulting in the deletion of over 1.65 crore deceased, permanently shifted, and duplicate electors from the rolls.
The data shared by the EC also highlights an increase in the number of third-gender voters and a significant addition of young electors across various age groups. Additionally, over 10.64 lakh advance applications were received for enrollment in the voters’ list from those above 17 years of age.
As of February 8, Uttar Pradesh leads with the maximum number of voters at 15.30 crore, while Lakshadweep has over 57,000 registered voters. India witnessed a voter turnout of 67 percent in the last parliamentary polls in 2019, a significant increase from the 45 percent recorded in the first Lok Sabha elections.
