Expressing gratitude to voters of Delhi for historic turn out, Chief electoral officer Vijay Dev said on Thursday that Delhi has recorded 64-65 per cent voters turn out that is highest since Emergency lifted in 1977 in the national Capital.
“At least 64-64 per cent of 1.27 crore eligible voters exercised their franchise and the polling percentage may go up slightly as some people were still in queue in various areas even after the deadline for voting ended,” he said. In 2008, voters turn out percentage was only 51.85 per cent while it was recorded 64 per cent in the Assembly polls in December last year. In 2009 lok Sabha polls, the overall voting percentage was recorded at 52.3 per cent, which had increased to 66 per cent in the 2013 Delhi Assembly election in December last year. The highest voter turnout of 71.3 in Delhi was recorded in the lok Sabha poll held after the Emergency was lifted in 1977.
When asked, Dev said that besides public awareness campaigning through print and electronic media, the Electoral Office of Delhi has initiated several steps to generate awareness among voters especially youth and women to cast their votes in the election. “Besides general awareness campaign, 70 model polling booths concept was also appreciated. This is the first time that electoral office of Delhi had provided a wheelchair and two volunteers at each polling station to ensure better accessibility to differently-abled voters. Delhi was the only State which has ensured wheel chairs for friendly disabled persons or senior citizen so that they could cast their vote,” he said.