Tamil Nadu recorded a sharp surge in voter participation on Thursday, with more than 80 per cent of its 5.73 crore electors casting ballots in the elections to 234 Assembly constituencies across the state.
Till 5 pm, the state had registered 82.24 per cent polling, according to figures released by the Election Commission of India, surpassing its previous highest turnout of 78.29 per cent recorded in the 2011 Assembly elections, which were won by the AIADMK.
The higher turnout comes against the backdrop of a reduced electorate following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The voter base has shrunk from 6.41 crore in October 2025 to 5.73 crore currently. In comparison, the 2021 elections had about 6.29 crore registered voters—nearly 56 lakh more than this year.
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Among districts, Salem led the polling charts with 88.02 per cent turnout. Chennai recorded 81.34 per cent, while Madurai saw 77.89 per cent. Coimbatore reported 82.33 per cent, and Tiruchirappalli registered 82.76 per cent voting.
In Kolathur constituency in Chennai, where M K Stalin of the DMK is contesting, turnout stood at 83.58 per cent till 5 pm. At Chepauk–Thiruvallikeni, where Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin is seeking re-election, voting was recorded at 81.89 per cent.
In Edappadi constituency in Salem, turnout reached 89.09 per cent. Here, AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is contesting from his traditional stronghold, facing a challenge from the DMK, while actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is backing an independent candidate after the party’s nomination was rejected on technical grounds.
In Tiruchirappalli East, where TVK chief Vijay is contesting, voter turnout stood at 79.32 per cent till 5 pm. Election officials noted that polling remained largely smooth across the state, with long queues at several booths reflecting strong voter engagement throughout the day.
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