Srinagar, August 20: With everything now geared up for the Legislative Assembly elections, the region has seen a significant increase of over 93,000 new voters, owing to a corresponding increase in the number of young voters, while the number of polling stations in Jammu and Kashmir has also increased by 209.
“This became clear when the special summary of photo voters’ lists with cut-off date of July 1, 2024, was finalised in all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir said on Tuesday.
“With a focus on ensuring accuracy, inclusiveness and purity of electoral rolls, the gigantic special exercise of revising the summary in Jammu and Kashmir was successfully completed. We were able to include all eligible citizens who have completed 18 years of age or have registered for the first time, identify and remove ineligible voters and correct errors and discrepancies to improve the completeness and accuracy of electoral rolls,” he said.
The CEO reiterated his commitment to increasing voter participation and inclusivity and ensuring the integrity of electoral processes while detailing the key findings of the 2024 Special Summary Review.
“As per the Special Summary Revision 2024, which was completed with the publication of the final electoral roll, the total number of voters is 88.03 lakh. This includes 44.89 lakh males, 43.13 lakh females and 168 third gender voters,” the CEO said in a statement.
In this special summary revision, a total of 93,284 voters were added across Jammu and Kashmir, while the voter to total population ratio improved from 0.59 to 0.60.
Highlighting the remarkable achievements, the CEO said that the number of young voters in the 18-19 age group increased by 45,964, including 24,310 women, while the total number of female voters also increased by 51,142.
“This significant increase in the number of young voters in Jammu and Kashmir shows how engaged young voters are in the electoral process,” the CEO said. “The total number of young voters in Jammu and Kashmir in the age group of 18-29 years is 2.534 million.”
The significant increase in the number of young first-time voters is due to the comprehensive SVEEP plan and its successful implementation by the respective district election officers under the overall leadership of the CEO.
The CEO also highlighted the special efforts made during the special revision of the summary, which resulted in an improvement in the gender balance among voters by two percentage points (from 959 to 961), representing significant progress in efforts to increase the inclusion of women in the electoral system.
“A grassroots, multi-pronged campaign, which included the organisation of Prabhat Feris, door-to-door events and mass awareness programmes, has contributed significantly to the increase in the number of women voters,” the CEO said.
In parallel with the increase in the number of voters, the number of polling stations in Jammu and Kashmir has also increased this year.
“The number of polling stations (PSs) in J&K for the upcoming assembly elections has increased from 11,629 to 11,838 and polling station locations (PSLs) from 8,930 to 9,168. This increase of 209 polling stations and 238 polling station locations is due to rationalisation of polling stations and polling booths, ensuring that the distance is less than 2 km to facilitate voters to vote,” the CEO said.
The CEO said that as of now, there are 83,191 registered voters with disabilities in Jammu and Kashmir, while the number of voters above 100 years of age is 2,428.
The CEO thanked all those involved in the special revision of the summary and stressed the importance of high-quality, clean and error-free electoral rolls.
The CEO appreciated the Block Level Officers (BLOs) and their key role in the successful conduct of the door-to-door polls in the difficult areas of Jammu and Kashmir, while noting that the number of registered voters with disabilities and migrants has increased significantly.
The CEO appealed to all eligible voters in Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their right to vote in their respective constituencies on election days and strengthen democracy in Jammu and Kashmir.
