The Election Commission on Friday said 96.88 crore people are eligible to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The poll panel also said there is a six per cent increase in registered voters in India as compared to 2019.

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“The largest electorate in the world – 96.88 crore are registered to vote for the forthcoming general elections in India,” the EC said in a communiqué.

The poll panel said after months long intensive Special Summary Revision 2024 (SSR 2024) exercise and ahead of the general elections, it has published the electoral rolls in all States and Union Territories across the country with reference to 1st January as the qualifying date. This also included successful completion of revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir and Assam, following the delimitation of constituencies.

The endeavour, undertaken with meticulous planning, coordination and participation of political parties has yielded noteworthy achievements in terms of inclusivity, health and purity of the electoral rolls, it said.

The EC further said, “The electoral roll gender ratio has surged positively, indicating the growing role of women in shaping the democratic fabric of the nation. Over 2.63 crore new electors have been included in the electoral roll, out of which around 1.41 crore are female electors which surpassed the newly enrolled male voters ( 1.22 crore) by over 15 per cent.”

More than two crore young electors, between the 18-19 and 20-29 age groups, have been added to the electoral roll, it informed.

The gender ratio has increased from from 940 in 2023 to 948 in 2024, as per the statement.

Mentioning about scrutiny, the EC said, “After thorough house-to-house verification, names of 1,65,76,654 deceased, permanently shifted, and duplicate electors have been deleted from the electoral rolls. This comprehensive cleanup ensures the integrity and purity of the electoral process. It includes 67,82,642 dead voters, 75,11,128 permanently shifted/absent voters and 22,05,685 duplicate voters.”

As the nation gears up for the elections, this inclusive and diverse electoral roll stands as a testament to the strength of democracy and the unwavering spirit of civic participation among its citizens, it added.