India gears up to conduct the next Lok Sabha elections with the Election Commission stating over 96 crore citizens are now eligible to cast their ballot and shape the 18th parliament. This massive electorate includes nearly 47 crore women voters, while 1.73 crore are 18 to 19 year old first-time voters.
To facilitate polling at this unprecedented scale, more than 12 lakh booths will be setup nationwide. Around 1.5 crore polling personnel are also set to be deployed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for smooth conduct of the crucial polls and counting processes.
Steady Increase in Voter Base Over Decades
A letter recently shared by ECI with political parties revealed India had just 17.32 crore registered electors back in the 1951 election. This number gradually rose to 19.37 crore by 1957.
In effect, the voter base has grown over five and a half times, from about 19 crore in 1957 to the present strength of 96 crore plus. The last 2019 polls witnessed 91.2 crore Indians exercising franchise – the highest ever turnout.
Nearly 18 lakh registered voters currently also fall under the person with disability category who get special assistance during polling. While voter turnout in the first elections was 45%, it hit a record 67% in 2019 highlighting rising public participation.k
