New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Assembly elections held after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) have witnessed a significant spike in the percentage turnout of voters in the respective states and have surpassed global records, including those for nations following mandatory voting, according to figures released by the poll body Tuesday.
West Bengal, where turnout touched a record 93.70 per cent in the Assembly election held this year, is not only the highest ever achieved by any state in India, but also surpassed more than two dozen countries, according to the poll body.
The countries included the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Japan, among others. Among the 25 nations mentioned, at least six are said to follow mandatory voting.
In numbers, while 76,35,066 voters had exercised their franchise in the first election held in Independent India in 1951, the number shot up to 6,40,53,576 in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election.
While this can be attributed to population growth, what mattered was participation by percentage, where women outnumbered men in several places and other states as well.
Puducherry, at 91.19 per cent, followed close behind in the state poll held at the same time as West Bengal, rising significantly from close to 80 per cent registered in 1964.
The Union Territory bettered, in what appeared from the graph shared by the ECI, about 23 major democracies, among which four have mandatory voting.
Assam and Tamil Nadu, at 86.33 per cent and 86.03 per cent, respectively, followed these states, marking a significant rise in voter turnout in this year’s election compared to earlier ones.
Kerala, where voters usually participate in the poll process in large numbers that surpass the 70 per cent mark in all elections, except a few held till 2026, recorded a turnout this year barely short of the 80 per cent mark, at 79.53 per cent. Yet it bettered several other democratic nations, including at least three countries following mandatory voting.
In all these states, the SIR exercise led to the striking off of several thousand names, most of whom were deceased, had shifted residence elsewhere, or failed to provide documents proving the right to adult franchise.
In Bihar, where the state election was held in November last year, the polling percentage was higher than that recorded in several advanced democracies. During the SIR exercise, which ran for three months in Bihar, nearly 70 lakh names were removed from the electoral rolls. However, the 2025 Assembly polls recorded a turnout of 67.25 per cent, the highest since the election was first held in 1951.
In a fact sheet accompanying a set of graphics released by the ECI on Tuesday, it highlighted the institutional and procedural safeguards governing elections in India. This follows observations by US President Donald Trump on Monday.
Recalling Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s question about the absence of voter identification requirements in US elections, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would renew his call for passage of the proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The SAVE Act, or SAVE America Act, proposes requiring documentary proof of US citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
In India, the ECI, an independent constitutional authority, conducts elections for President, Vice President, the Lok Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies and Councils, the fact sheet shared by the poll body said.
Polling in India is based on a photo identity card, and the ECI has issued a special Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) to close to a billion electors, it added. Electors can also download their e-EPIC online from https://voters.eci.gov.in/.
Electoral rolls in India are prepared for each of the 1.2 million polling booths by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), state government employees, and are concurrently audited by Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties, the ECI said.
Polling in booths is also concurrently audited by polling agents appointed by the candidates, and vote counting is audited by counting agents appointed likewise, it added.
–IANS
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