Thiruvananthapuram: Despite expectations from the Election Commission that voter turnout would exceed 85 per cent in the first election following the intensive revision of the electoral roll (SIR), the final polling percentage in Kerala fell short of that mark. However, turnout still rose by more than two percentage points compared to the 2021 election.

Election analysts note that SIR is only one of several factors contributing to the increase in voter turnout. Intense competition in certain constituencies is believed to have driven higher participation. They also emphasise that the rise compared to 2021 does not indicate a favourable trend for any particular political front.

A total of 2.461 million names were removed from the electoral roll during the SIR process. This ‘purification’ exercise eliminated deceased voters, duplicate entries, and individuals who failed to submit enumeration forms. Even after adding new voters, the final list recorded a net reduction of 306,000 voters compared to 2021.

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There was a strong turnout at polling booths on Thursday morning, with a notable surge in the early hours raising expectations of a high final percentage. However, voter turnout slowed across most districts after midday. Within the first hour, turnout reached 16.23 per cent, rising to 33.28 per cent by 11 am. By 1 pm, it stood at 49.7 per cent, and by 2 pm, it had reached 52.32 per cent.

Even in Pathanamthitta, which recorded a relatively low turnout of 69.62 per cent in the previous election, participation had reached 51.89 per cent by early afternoon. Chief Electoral Officer Ratan Kelkar had indicated that, if the trend continued, turnout could touch 90 per cent. However, the final figure stood at 78.27 per cent.

Compared to the previous Assembly election, urban voter turnout saw a significant decline following the SIR process. Political parties actively worked to reinstate omitted voters in rural areas, but similar efforts were less evident in urban regions. Many urban voters reportedly realised their names were missing only when they did not receive voter slips.

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Ernakulam constituency recorded the steepest decline, with 30,800 fewer voters than in 2021. Other urban constituencies also saw notable reductions: Thrikkakara recorded 25,775 fewer voters, Tripunithura 24,461 fewer, and Kochi 14,840 fewer. In contrast, Perumbavoor, where only 708 voters were removed, showed the smallest difference from the previous election.

Meanwhile, Assam and Puducherry, where elections were held simultaneously with Kerala, recorded significantly higher turnout. Assam registered 85.91 per cent, while Puducherry recorded 89.87 per cent. Notably, Assam did not undergo an intensive revision of its electoral roll.