Record Voter Turnout in Scorching Summer: 2024 Indian Elections Wrap Up

India's 2024 general elections saw 642 million of the 968 million registered voters casting their ballots, a significant increase from the previous election. The intense summer heat did not deter voters. Analysts attribute the slightly lower turnout to the lack of a major issue. Prime Minister Modi's BJP is projected for a big win.

India's Election Commission said on Monday that 642 million of the 968 million registered voters cast their ballots in the general election that concluded on June 1.

Although the number is higher than the 612 million voters who cast their ballots in the previous election in 2019, it is about one percentage point lower than the 67.4% turnout five years back. The seven-phase 2024 vote began on April 19 and was held in scorching summer heat in many parts of the country, with temperatures rising to nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122°F) in some north and northwestern regions.

The voter turnout was possibly lower in the initial phases because there was no single major issue to draw voters out, analysts said, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought a rare, third consecutive term. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance is projected to win a big majority, TV exit polls said on Saturday, ahead of the counting on Tuesday.

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