1-5% difference in polling percentage possible between polling day & day after figures: CEO

On day of polling for the second phase, the polling percentage was announced as around 59% while a day later, the final number was declared as 62.71%.

Chockalingam said that the state has witnessed 0.21% increase in the second phase compared to 2019 while the first phase voting was identical of previous term. “We know that the percentage has not increased much but we are confident that with our measures, more and more people will come out for voting,” he said.

Witnessing lack of voters’ enthusiasm in the first two phases of the elections, the state election body has directed officials to personally visit polling booths, which have registered less than 50% polling in the last two elections and encourage voters to come out in large numbers, especially in urban areas.

“We are taking extra efforts to ensure voting percentage increases. We have identified polling booths with less than 50% voting and our officers will be making personal visits to these areas to encourage voters to come out and vote,” said Kiran Kulkarni, Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra.

Kulkarni said that heat is also one of the reasons which is discouraging voters to come out and hence adequate measures will be taken to overcome this. “A special provision of waiting room will be made where the voters can sit to avoid sunlight. Area where long queues take place will be covered. Even safety measures to prevent heatstroke will be taken,” he said.

The commission will also be organising flash mobs in malls, streetplays, posters, hoardings and banners eyeing to increase the polling percentage.