Unprecedented compared to other democracies: EC shares data on Lok Sabha polls

The data comes against the backdrop of allegations that there was fudging in figures of voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections.

New Delhi: Around 10.58 lakh votes were not counted or rejected in the Lok Sabha elections this year, which includes 5.35 lakh postal votes, according to the Election Commission's detailed statistical report on the general elections.

It also showed that 64.64 crore of 97.97 crore voters exercised their franchise in the elections held in April-June. Of the votes cast, 63.89 crore were valid.

The statistical report released on Thursday showed that 42.81 lakh postal votes were received but 5.35 lakh were rejected owing to various reasons, including late submission. Of the 10.58 lakh votes not counted or rejected, 5.22 lakh were votes cast on Electronic Voting Machines.

While three votes cast in the election were proxy votes, 9,634 were tendered votes, implying that there were at least these many incidents where impersonators voted in the name of genuine voters. Repolling was held in 40 polling stations.

Number of nominations filed in 2024 stood at 12,459, as compared to 11,692 in 2019, while 7,190 people lost their deposits because of failing to gather more than one-sixth of the votes polled.

There were 3,921 independent candidates, of which only seven managed to win. None of the 279 women independent candidates won.

The number of women candidates increased in 2024 to 800 as against 726 five years ago. The number of women voters rose to 47.63 crore from 43.85 crore. Female voter turnout stood at 65.78 per cent as compared to 65.55 per cent male voters in the Lok Sabha polls.

Lok Sabha Elections

2024 Voters: 97,97,51,847

2019 Voters: 91,19,50,734

Increase: 7.43%

Voted

2024: 64.64 crore (2019: 61.4 crore)

- EVM Votes: 64,21,39,275

*Male: 32,93,61,948

*Female: 31,27,64,269

* Third Gender: 13,058

- Postal Ballots: 42,81,594

Seats with Voting % less than 50%: 11

NOTA: 63,71,839 (0.99%) in 2024 compared to 1.06% in 2019

Nominations:

2024:12,459

2019: 11692

-- 8,360 qualified as candidates after rejection of nominations and withdrawals (In 2019: 8054)

Women

Voters: 47,63,11,240 (In 2019: 43,85,37,911)

48.62% women voters in 2024 compared to 48.09% in 2019.

Highest percentage share of women voters in 2024: Puducherry (53.03%); Kerala (51.56%)

No. of women voter per 1000 male voters: 946, (In 2019: 926)

Parties

63.35%: votes polled by 6 national parties