Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Record Turnout and EC Initiatives

The Maharashtra assembly elections saw a turnout of 66.05% in EVM votes, an increase from 2019. Efforts included special voter registrations and initiatives for PwDs and PVTGs. Measures like rationalizing polling stations were introduced to improve the voting experience. Results will be announced on Saturday.

Maharashtra's assembly elections recorded a notable 66.05% voter turnout, according to EVM votes, marking an increase from 2019's 61.1%, officials from the Election Commission revealed on Thursday. Notably, the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll recorded a 67.81% turnout.

The elections, involving the 288-member state assembly, took place on Wednesday. Vote counting is scheduled for Saturday. The chief electoral officer clarified that the cited turnout figure excludes postal ballots, focusing solely on electronic voting machine tallies.

Highlighting the Election Commission's outreach, Kolhapur led with 76.63% turnout, while Mumbai posted the lowest at 52.07%. Enhanced efforts included optimising polling station layouts and accommodating home and postal voting. Over 68,000 seniors and 12,000 disabled individuals voted from home, with 36,000 essential service voters using postal ballots.

(With inputs from agencies.)