**Executive Summary**
This report summarizes the polling outcomes for the 2026 General Elections to Legislative Assemblies in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Phase-I), along with bye-elections in Gujarat and Maharashtra. On April 23, 2026, Tamil Nadu (84.69%) and West Bengal Phase-I (91.78%) recorded their highest-ever voter participation since Independence. Provisional data is currently available on the ECINET App, with final figures to be released via Index Cards following the update of remaining polling station data.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Record-Breaking Poll Participation**
* **Tamil Nadu:** Achieved a record 84.69% turnout, surpassing the previous high of 78.29% set in 2011.
* **West Bengal (Phase-I):** Recorded 91.78%, exceeding the previous 2011 record of 84.72%.
* **Bye-elections:** Turnout was recorded at 59.03% in Umreth (Gujarat), 57.48% in Baramati (Maharashtra), and 55.31% in Rahuri (Maharashtra).
* **Gender Statistics:** Female voter participation (85.76% in TN; 92.69% in WB) generally exceeded male participation (83.57% in TN; 90.92% in WB).
**Monitoring and Data Management**
* **Oversight:** The Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners monitored 100% of polling stations in both states via live webcasting.
* **Digital Reporting:** Presiding Officers updated polling percentages in real-time through the ECINET system to minimize reporting delays.
* **Data Status:** Figures are currently provisional and exclude service voters and postal ballots; data from 6,345 stations in West Bengal and 6,411 in Tamil Nadu is still being updated.
**Voter-Friendly Initiatives**
* **Ballot Enhancements:** Implementation of easily identifiable color photos of candidates on EVM ballot papers.
* **Accessibility:** Provision of wheelchairs, volunteers, and dedicated transport facilities to assist PwD (Persons with Disabilities) voters.
* **Efficiency Measures:** Redesigned Voter Information Slips (VIS) for better readability and a cap of 1,200 electors per polling station to manage flow.
* **Technology:** Implementation of Mobile Deposit Facilities (MDF) and public access to turnout figures via the ECINET App.
**Impact Analysis**
**Voters (including PwD voters)**
**Impact**
Voters benefited from enhanced ease of identification of candidates and improved accessibility. Persons with Disabilities received targeted support to reach and navigate polling stations.
**Action Required**
Voters can access district-wise and AC-wise approximate turnout figures through the ECINET App.
**Presiding Officers (PROs)**
**Impact**
PROs were required to adhere to new instructions for immediate digital data entry at the close of polls to ensure minimal delay in trend updates.
**Action Required**
PROs for the remaining 6,345 polling stations in West Bengal and 6,411 in Tamil Nadu must complete data uploads to ECINET.
**Election Commission (ECI)**
**Impact**
The Commission successfully oversaw record-breaking participation through high-tech monitoring and new voter-centric infrastructure.
**Action Required**
The Commission must share final participation figures in Index Cards through ECINET once all provisional data, service voters, and postal ballots are processed.
Key Entities Referenced
Election Commission: The primary regulatory body responsible for conducting and monitoring the General Elections to Legislative Assemblies and bye-elections.
General Elections to Legislative Assemblies 2026: The specific electoral event and policy scope covering legislative assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections in other states.
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal: The primary states central to the 2026 General Elections, where historic voter participation levels were recorded.
ECINET: The digital network and application used by election officials for real-time data uploading, polling trend monitoring, and final figure sharing.
Voter Information Slips (VIS): A key voter-friendly initiative and program introduced to improve readability and facilitate the voting process for electors.
Election Commission
General Elections to Legislative Assemblies and
bye-elections 2026
Tamil Nadu (84.69%) and West Bengal (Phase-I) (91.78%)
record highest-ever poll participation since Independence
Posted On: 23 APR 2026 8:38PM by PIB Delhi
1. Polling for the General Elections for the Legislative Assemblies of Tamil Nadu and West
Bengal (Phase-I) and the bye-elections in 3 ACs of 2 States (Gujarat and Maharashtra) began
today at 7:00 AM.
2. Tamil Nadu with 84.69% and West Bengal (Phase-I) with 91.78% recorded the
highest- ever poll-participation since Independence. Previously, the highest poll-
participation in Tamil Nadu was 78.29% (2011 GELA) and in West Bengal was 84.72% (2011
GELA) respectively. Details of previous poll participation figures are annexed.
3. Details of poll participation (%) are as follows:
State/UT Poll Percentage (%)
Male Female 3rd Total
Gender
General Elections to Legislative Assembly
Tamil Nadu 83.57 85.76 60.49 84.69
West Bengal (Ph-I) 90.92 92.69 56.79 91.78
Bye-elections to AC
Gujarat 61.52 56.34 50.00 59.03
1. Umreth-111
Maharashtra 61.61 53.29 4.48 57.48
1. Baramati-201
2. Rahuri-223 58.59 51.80 0.00 55.31*As per data uploaded by the PROs themselves in ECINET. Data from 6,345 PS in WB and
6,411 PS in TN yet to be updated
+Data is provisional and it does not include Service Voters & Postal Ballots. Final figures will
be shared in Index Cards through ECINET
4. Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners
Dr.
S.S. Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi kept a close watch on the polling through live webcasting
which was ensured in 100% of the Polling Stations in both the states.
5. Details of electorate, polling stations, polling staff, candidates and polling agents in the
two states are as under:
State ACs Electorate
Male Female 3rd Total
(in (in Gender (in
Crores) Crores) Crores)
Tamil 234 2.80 2.93 7,728 5.73
Nadu
West 152 1.84 1.76 465 3.60
Bengal
(Ph-I)
TOTAL 386 4.64 4.69 8,193 9.33
6. Presiding Officers updated the polling percentage on ECINET at the close of poll
before leaving the polling station as per ECI’s latest instructions resulting in minimal delay in
updation of the polling trends.
7. Several new voter-friendly initiatives such as easily identifiable colour photos of
candidates on EVM ballot papers, Mobile Deposit Facility (MDF), newly designed Voter
Information Slips (VIS) for easy readability and limit of electors upto 1,200 per polling station
were ensured in these elections.
8. Polling stations were also provided with wheelchairs and volunteers to assist PwD
voters. Transport facility was also provided to assist PwD voters in reaching their respective
polling stations.
9. District-wise and AC wise approximate voter turnout figures are available on the ECINET
App.
**********
PK/GDH/RP
Annexure -1Tamil Nadu: Gender-wise Poll Participation in Elections [1951 – 2026]
Sl. Year of Male Female
Election VTR VTR
No. State Type
%
%
[Excl. Postal votes]
1 Madras LA 1951
2 Madras LS 1951
3 Madras LA 1957
4 Madras LS 1957
5 Madras LA 1962 74.92 66.45
6 Madras LS 1962 73.07 64.55
7 Madras LA 1967 79.19 73.99
8 Madras LS 1967 79.23 73.94
9 Tamil LA 1971 74.55 69.66
Nadu
10 Tamil LS 1971 74.48 69.17
Nadu
11 Tamil LA 1977 64.02 59.08
Nadu
12 Tamil LS 1977 68.81 65.43
Nadu
13 Tamil LA 1980 69.14 61.61
Nadu
14 Tamil LS 1980 70.15 63.34
Nadu
15 Tamil LA 1984 74.42 72.49
Nadu16 Tamil LS 1984 74.00 71.94
Nadu
17 Tamil LA 1989 70.33 69.02
Nadu
18 Tamil LS 1989 68.67 65.01
Nadu
19 Tamil LA 1991 65.94 61.69
Nadu
20 Tamil LS 1991 66.02 61.76
Nadu
21 Tamil LA 1996 69.08 64.78
Nadu
22 Tamil LS 1996 68.99 64.85
Nadu
23 Tamil LS 1998 60.67 55.19
Nadu
24 Tamil LS 1999 60.96 54.96
Nadu
25 Tamil LA 2001 61.30 56.83
Nadu
26 Tamil LS 2004 64.49 56.89
Nadu
27 Tamil LA 2006 72.41 68.75
Nadu
28 Tamil LS 2009 73.95 71.91
Nadu
29 Tamil LA 2011 77.53 78.51
Nadu
30 Tamil LS 2014 73.35 73.83
Nadu31 Tamil LA 2016 74.16 74.33
Nadu
32 Tamil LS 2019 71.81 72.29
Nadu
33 Tamil LA 2021 72.88 72.61
Nadu
34 Tamil LS 2024 69.43 69.86
Nadu
35 Tamil LA 2026* 83.57 85.76
Nadu
*As per data uploaded by the PROs themselves in ECINET. Data from 6,411 PS in TN yet to
be updated throughECINET
Annexure -3
West Bengal: Gender-wise Poll Participation in Elections [1951 – 2026]
Sl. Year of Election Male Female
Election Type VTR VTR
No. State
%
%
[Excl. Postal votes]1 West 1951 LA
Bengal
2 West 1951 LS
Bengal
3 West 1957 LA
Bengal
4 West 1957 LS
Bengal
5 West 1962 LA 61.77 47.43
Bengal
6 West 1962 LS 61.98 47.62
Bengal
7 West 1967 LA 70.69 60.51
Bengal
8 West 1967 LS 70.88 60.15
Bengal
9 West 1969 LA 69.67 62.57
Bengal
10 West 1971 LA 65.09 58.09
Bengal
11 West 1971 LS 64.51 58.57
Bengal
12 West 1972 LA 63.19 57.75
Bengal
13 West 1977 LA 59.72 51.86
Bengal
14 West 1977 LS 64.86 54.75
Bengal
15 West 1980 LS 72.58 68.18
Bengal16 West 1982 LA 78.79 74.87
Bengal
17 West 1984 LS 81.74 75.04
Bengal
18 West 1987 LA 77.42 73.65
Bengal
19 West 1989 LS 82.05 76.92
Bengal
20 West 1991 LA 77.53 75.96
Bengal
21 West 1991 LS 78.33 74.88
Bengal
22 West 1996 LA 83.86 81.92
Bengal
23 West 1996 LS 84.27 80.86
Bengal
24 West 1998 LS 80.73 77.66
Bengal
25 West 1999 LS 76.70 73.25
Bengal
26 West 2001 LA 77.83 72.53
Bengal
27 West 2004 LS 79.86 75.38
Bengal
28 West 2006 LA 82.34 80.75
Bengal
29 West 2009 LS 82.29 80.25
Bengal
30 West 2011 LA 84.22 84.45
Bengal31 West 2014 LS 82.19 81.96
Bengal
32 West 2016 LA 82.23 83.13
Bengal
33 West 2019 LS 81.35 81.79
Bengal
34 West 2021 LA 81.37 81.75
Bengal
35 West 2024 LS 78.20 80.16
Bengal
36 West 2026 LA 90.92 92.69
Bengal [Phase
-1]*
* As per data uploaded by the PROs themselves in ECINET. Data from 6,345 PS in WB yet to be
updated
+Data is provisional and it does not include Service Voters & Postal Ballots. Final figures will be
shared in Index Cards through ECINET(Release ID: 2255010) Visitor Counter : 39170
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