Bhubaneswar: The third phase of the elections concluded in Odisha on Saturday. Compared to 2019, a record amount of voting was recorded in 2024. In the 6 Lok Sabha constituencies of the third phase of polling on Saturday, 74.45% of voters cast their votes. In 2019, in those 6 Lok Sabha constituencies, 71.36% of voters had exercised their votes.
According to the report of the Election Commission of India (ECI), 79.50% of polling was done in Sambalpur, while 78.97% in Keonjhar, 78.01% in Dhenkanal, 71.20% in Cuttack, 75.43% in Puri and 64.49% in Bhubaneswar. Overall, voting in these six Lok Sabha seats was recorded as 74.45%.
In 2019, polling in Sambalpur was recorded as 76.35%. Likewise, 77.37% of the polling took place in Keonjhar, 74.89% in Dhenkanal, 69.61% in Cuttack, 72.51% in Puri and 79% in Bhubaneswar. Overall, the polling rate in these six Lok Sabha seats was 71.36%.
After Saturday’s polling, the ECI informed that the voter turnout in the Phase III elections of Odisha was 71%. Sunday the final tally was announced after counting as 74.45%.
Thanks to the people of Bhubaneswar
Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer Nikunj Bihari Dhal thanked the people of Bhubaneswar for voting in large numbers. Bhubaneswar saw a record voter turnout compared to previous years. The voter turnout was above 51% in all three assembly constituencies.
The Bhubaneswar seat recorded voting as 51.28% while Bhubaneswar North witnessed 53.93% voting and the Ekamra Bhubaneswar constituency recorded 56.42%. In 2019, for the same constituencies, the voter turnout was recorded as 43.25, 45.39% and 47.64% respectively.
94,000 Postal Ballot recorded till the end of the Phase III elections
The ECI has released the Postal Ballot data for the General Election 2024. Till the end of Odisha Phase III elections, around 94,000 votes have been cast through postal ballot, said the ECI.
The ECI created various categories for postal ballot voters before the elections. Such as voters with disabilities (benchmark disability above 40%); senior citizens above 85 years of age, employees engaged in essential services, employees engaged in election work etc.
The ECI further said, senior voters above the age of 85 years and disabled voters cast their votes through ‘home voting’ whereas employees engaged in essential services have voted through Postal Voting Centre (PVC) and the employees engaged in election work have voted through Postal Ballot Facilitation Centre (PBFC).
