There are 218,442 voters over 100 years on the electoral rolls.
The Election Commission's poll schedule for the 2024 general elections will last 81 days, compared to 75 days in 2019.
At 81 days, it is one of the longest since 1951-1952, which spanned over four months.
The number of actual polling days was seven in 2019 and it remains the same for the 2024 polls.
However, at 81 days, from the Election Commission's announcing of the schedule on March 16 to counting votes on June 4, the 2024 polls will last six more days than the 2019 elections.
The Election Commission announced the 2019 polls on March 10 and counted the votes on May 23, a span of 75 days (inclusive of both days).
In 2014, the entire process, with the poll dates announced on March 5 and counting on May 16, spanned 73 days.
The seven phases in the 2024 polls are scheduled for April 19 (102 seats), April 26 (89 seats), May 7 (94 seats), May 13 (96 seats), May 20 (49 seats), May 25 (57 seats) and June 1 (57 seats).
Further, the Election Commission has taken steps with its campaign -- 'No Voter To Be Left Behind' -- to increase voter turnout, which was 67.4% in 2019, a marginal increase over 2014's 66.44%. The voter turnout percentage in 2009 was 58.21%.
- 968.8 million electorate (as on January 1, 2024); it was 911.9 million in 2019 and 834 million in 2014
- 48.61% (471 million) women voters; the figure was 48.09% in 2019
- 1.89% (18.4 million) voters in the 18-19-yr age group; it was 1.64% (15 million) in 2019
- 22.27% (215.8 million) voters between 18 and 29 yrs; the share was 25.37% in 2019
- 48,044 third gender voters vis-a-vis 39,075 in 2019
- 948 women voters per 1,000 male voters in 2024; the gender ratio was 928 in 2019
- 12 states/UTs have electorate gender ratio better than 1000, up from 8 in 2019
- 118,439 overseas voters in the current electoral rolls; there were 99,844 overseas electors in 2019
- 1,908,194 service electors on the electoral rolls; the figure was 1,800,388 five years ago
- 8,187,999 senior citizens over 85 years and 218,442 electors over 100 years on the electoral rolls (as on March 10, 2024)
- 1,048,202 polling stations in 2024, up 1.19% from 2019
- 5.5 million EVMs to be used
- 22 states and UTs to witness single phase elections, the same as in 2019
- 7 phase polls in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal
- The UT of J&K to witness polls in five phases; there were four phases in 2019 when it was a state and Ladakh was part of it
- 5 phase polls in Maharashtra versus four phases in 2019
- Outer Manipur seat two witness polls over two phases; 15 assembly constituencies to voting on April 19 and the remaining 13 on April 26
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
