Record-breaking voter registration: 96.88 crore people enlisted for Lok Sabha elections

New Delhi, February 9: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday announced that a staggering 96.88 crore persons have registered to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha in what is recognised as the largest electorate in history. As part of this comprehensive exercise, over two crore young voters in the 18-29 age group been incorporated into the voters' list.

Following an extensive Special Summary Revision 2024 process and in preparation for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Election Commission of India has released the electoral rolls nationwide, referencing January 1, 2024, as the qualifying date. This process included the successful revision of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam post the delimitation of constituencies. The EC emphasised meticulous planning, coordination, and political party participation in achieving inclusive, healthy, and pure electoral rolls.

Notably, the gender ratio has shown improvement from 940 in 2023 to 948 in 2024, according to the poll panel. The commission has prioritised the integrity and health of the electoral roll, ensuring transparency in the revision process.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, in a groundbreaking move, conducted a press conference in Pune during the launch of the Special Summary Revision Exercise in November 2022. He outlined the intricate tasks involved in revising electoral rolls, highlighting the involvement of political parties at each stage.

Female voter registrations have witnessed an uptick, underscoring efforts toward gender parity and inclusivity in the electoral framework. The Electoral Roll gender ratio has seen positive growth, indicating the increasing role of women in shaping the nation's democratic fabric. Over 2.63 crore new electors have been added to the electoral roll, with female electors surpassing newly enrolled male voters by over 15 percent.

Special initiatives have targeted achieving 100 percent registration of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), making the electoral rolls the most inclusive to date. The EC reported that, following rigorous house-to-house verification, 1,65,76,654 deceased, permanently shifted, and duplicate electors have been removed from the electoral rolls. This comprehensive cleanup, including 67,82,642 deceased voters, 75,11,128 permanently shifted/absent voters, and 22,05,685 duplicate voters, ensures the integrity and purity of the electoral process.

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