New Delhi: As many as 45.10 crore of the nearly 97 crore electors have voted so far in the ongoing 7-phase Lok Sabha elections, with the first four phases recording a cumulative turnout of 66.95 per cent, the Election Commission said on Thursday.
In a statement, the poll panel urged the electorate to come out and vote in large numbers in the coming phases. According to the poll authority, the updated voter turnout in the fourth phase of polling held on May 13 was 69.16 per cent, 3.65 percentage points higher than the corresponding phase in the 2019 parliamentary polls.
The updated voter turnout figures for the third phase of polling in the Lok Sabha election stood at 65.68 per cent. In the third phase of the 2019 general election, the turnout was 68.4 per cent.
In the second phase of the election held on April 26, the turnout was recorded at 66.71 per cent as against the 69.64 per cent in the second phase of the 2019 polls.
In the first phase of the ongoing general elections, a 66.14-per cent turnout was recorded. In the 2019 polls, the turnout in the first phase was 69.43 per cent. The EC said there is enhanced focus on to inform, motivate and facilitate voters in the remaining three phases of the parliamentary polls and state chief electoral officers have been asked to step up measures.
"The Commission strongly believes that partnership and collaboration are essential pillars of the voter awareness programme. It's really heartening to see that on Commission's request, different institutions, influencers and celebrities having significant reach are working enthusiastically on pro bono basis," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said.
A total of 379 seats across 23 states and Union Territories have voted in the first four phases of elections. A high voter turnout, Kumar felt, would be a message from Indian voters to the world about the strength of Indian democracy. He urged voters to cast their ballot in huge numbers, as voting day is not a holiday but a day of pride to participate in the festival of democracy.
The poll panel also listed out outreach efforts undertaken by various private and public bodies to enhance voter participation in the elections. Banks, post offices, private entities and telecom platforms are using their public interface to encourage registered voters to turn up at the polling stations on various voting days.
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