Maharashtra elections 2024: Mumbai sees marginal increase in turnout

Despite a slew of measures and voter awareness campaigns by the Election Commission of India ECI to tackle urban apathy efforts to motivate Mumbaikars to step out and vote appear to have yielded The island city and suburbs recorded a lacklustre voter turnout of 5318 per cent by the end of election day reflecting the persistent challenge of engaging urban votersThe Mumbai Suburbs saw a slight uptick in voter turnout during the 2024 state Assembly elections with participation reaching 5510 per cent until 1030 pm marginally higher than 5128 per cent in 2019 Mumbai City recorded 5127 per cent a minor improvement over 4822 per cent in the previous Assembly electionsThe footfall at polling booths across the city and suburbs is still considered dismalEfforts fall shortThis year the ECI had launched extensive voter awareness campaigns and implemented structural changes to boost turnout including appointing municipal commissioners as district election officers for the first time and ensuring better infrastructure at polling booths However these efforts seemed to have done little to inspire a significant increase in voter participationChief Election Commissioner CEC Rajiv Kumar while announcing poll dates earlier this year had highlighted ldquourban apathyrdquo as a key concern particularly in metro cities like Mumbai The polling day scheduled midweek was aimed at ensuring better participation but the response remained tepidA handful of voters are seen at a polling centre in Damu Nagar Kandivli East on Wednesday PicNimesh DaveA historical struggleMumbai has historically struggled with low voter turnout In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the city recorded a turnout of 554 per cent which dropped to 524 per cent in 2024 Even in Assembly elections the trend is consistent Such numbers highlight the longstanding issue of voter disengagement in one of Indiarsquos most vibrant citiesIn the 2019 Assembly elections Mumbai recorded a voter turnout of 5067 per cent slightly lower than the 5142 per cent seen in the 2014 polls Before 2014 however Mumbai consistently struggled to reach even 50 per cent turnout in Assembly electionsThe 2009 state polls recorded a turnout of 461 per cent while the 2004 elections saw a modest increase to 484 per cent In the 1999 Assembly polls the city registered a voter turnout of just 449 per cent reflecting historically low levels of electoral participation in the regionAwareness campaignsThis year workplaces were directed to grant employees paid leave to ensure they had the opportunity to cast their votes Polling stations were upgraded with essential amenities including ramps for persons with disabilities designated waiting areas and drinking water facilities to create a more voterfriendly environment Additionally officials engaged in community outreach by collaborating with local groups and Advanced Locality Managements ALMs to connect with residents in elite housing societies and motivate them to participate in the democratic processDespite these efforts turnout has barely budged Former Congress corporator and MVA candidate Asif Zakaria pointed to a pattern ldquoTurnout tends to be slightly better during Lok Sabha elections dips in Assembly polls and worsens further in municipal elections This time even with efforts from the ECI and candidates urban apathy remains a stubborn issuerdquoMumbai has about 10229708 eligible voters comprising 2543610 in the city and 7686098 in the suburban district Additionally each polling station in Mumbai has been equipped with assured minimum facilities for votersmdashdrinking water designated seating arrangements for persons in queues waiting rooms fans adequate lights clean toilets and bins as well as wheelchairs and ramps for persons with disabilities PwD and more Mumbai has 36 Assembly seats 10 in the island city and 26 in the suburban district A total of 10117 voting booths have been set upmdash2538 in the island city and 7579 in the suburban districtExperts argue that while institutional measures are essential voter participation ultimately hinges on individual responsibility As Zakaria aptly put it ldquoMany choose not to vote and then crib and complain The solution starts with taking that step out of the doorrdquolsquoVoters had tough timersquoWhile many have praised the ECI for its efforts to boost voter turnout Aslam Shaikh a threetime MLA from Malad West and an MVA candidate criticised the commission for poor management ldquoThe measures taken by the ECI are commendable but voters face numerous issues during elections such as missing names errors in names and gender and distant polling centresrdquo he stated ldquoEven on Wednesday I received many such complaints While I was able to assist citizens in areas where I was present I couldnt be everywhere meaning many people likely missed out on votingrdquo5067 per centMumbairsquos turnout in 2019 Assembly elections5318 per centMumbairsquos turnout in 2024 Assembly elections till press time6050 per centBorivli Constituency with highest city turnout4449 per centColaba Constituency with lowest city turnout