The Election Commission on Friday said it has “doubled up” its voter participation interventions to overcome the “small” dip in turnout in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls.
The turnout stood at 66.14 per cent in the first phase and at 66.71 per cent in the second phase. Compared to the voter participation in the past, this is “among the best” but “somewhat lags” behind the high benchmarks of the 2019 general elections, it said.
In 2019, a voter turnout of 69.43 per cent was recorded in the first phase and 69.64 per cent was recorded in the second phase.
The weather conditions are predicted to be normal in the 11 states and union territories that will go to polls in the third phase of elections on May 7, the poll panel noted.
Following the dip in the turnout in the first phase, the EC had directed state chief electoral officers of Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka to come up with additional set of plans to enhance voter participation.
The poll panel also held one-on-one interactions with district electoral officers from low-turnout districts to enhance voter participation.
The EC said it remains committed to taking up all possible interventions to boost voter turnout in the next five phases.
The commission said it is leading a set of additional initiatives for this purpose with chief electoral officers and senior officers at Nirvachan Sadan.
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