The State registered highest ever voter turnout of 74.30 per cent in the two-phase elections held on April 10 and 17 for its 21 lok Sabha and 147 Assembly constituencies. The State had registered 66.28 per cent polling in 2009 elections.
According to the final reports from the District Election Officers, the State witnessed 73.36 per cent turnout in the second-phase polls on Thursday. The voter turnout in the first-phase poll held in 10 lok Sabha and 70 Assembly seats was 75 per cent. Of the 30 districts, Mayurbhanj recorded a maximum of 82 per cent of voting while Khordha registered the lowest of 56 per cent polling, said Chief Electoral Officer Mona Sharma.
While 81.89 per cent of electorates exercised their franchise in tribal-dominated and Maoist-hit Nabarangpur district, 81 in Boudh, 80.02 per cent in Jharsuguda, 78.43 in Subarnapur, 78.08 in Bargarh, 77.40 in Rayagada, 77.25 in Angul, 76.20 in Koraput, 76.60 per cent in Dhenkanal, 74.95 in Kalahandi, 73.51 per cent in Balangir, 70.50 in Sundergarh, 74.06 in Sambalpur, 72 per cent in Gajapati and 70.57 per cent cast votes in Malkangiri district.
Similarly 75 per cent polling was recorded in Bhadrak, 75.6 in Nayagarh, 75.22 in Jajpur, 75.2 per cent in Jagatsinghpur, 70 per cent in Cuttack, 73.9 in Puri, 72 per cent in Keonjhar, 76 per cent in Dhenkanal, 72.9 in Kendrapada and 71.9 per cent was registered in Baleswar district, Sharma informed.
Sharma said that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been kept inside 64 strong rooms across the State amid tight security. As per the statistics, the southern and western districts of the State, particularly the Maoist-affected ones, witnessed higher voter turnout in comparison to the coastal and north Odisha districts.