Why AP voters rush to polling booth in last hour? A 2019 trend repeats with a record-breaking 81% voter turnout

Andhra Pradesh once again made history with a staggering 81% voter turnout on Monday, encompassing both the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Mukesh Kumar Meena, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), reported that voting in AP continued until 2 am in many polling stations, with the final percentage expected to rise as data is finalized.

This year's turnout surpassed the 79.74% recorded in the 2019 elections when the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ceded power to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). In 2014, during the state's bifurcation, the voter turnout stood at 74%, with the TDP emerging victorious.

PV Ramesh, former Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, remarked, "The surge in voter turnout reflects a heightened civic consciousness, a positive trend." He attributed this to cleaner electoral rolls and increased civic engagement.

2019 Voter Turnout

However, the political landscape in Andhra Pradesh was dominated by cadre-based parties, namely the YSRCP and the TDP-Jana Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance. Both camps launched extensive campaigns well ahead of schedule, mobilizing their grassroots support.

Essentially, party cadres focus on mobilising the voters till the last hour and once satisfied, they rush to the polling booths to be inside the queue, which cannot be ignored by the election duty officers. The trend is visible in most cadre-based two-party system seen in Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh.  

Analysis of polling data from the last three elections reveals a correlation between major state issues and voter turnout. While state bifurcation drove participation in 2014, delays in capital construction and the issue of special status fueled anti-incumbency sentiments in 2019, resulting in a clear mandate for Jagan Reddy.

A record 79.88% voter turnout was registered in 2019 elections to the state assembly and Lok Sabha elections, which was 1.92% higher than the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. The highest turnout of 85.93% was recorded in Prakasam district followed by Guntur district with 82.37%, while Visakhapatnam district recorded the lowest turnout of 73.67%.

Addanki constituency recorded the highest voter turnout of 89.82% voting in 2019.

Leaders' constituencies

This year too, crucial constituencies such as Pulivendula (Jagan Reddy), Kuppam (Chandrababu Naidu), and Pithapuram (Pawan Kalyan) reported provisional turnouts of 75.80%, 85.87%, and 86.87%, respectively, with final numbers awaited from the Election Commission.

This year election, debates centered on the continuity of welfare schemes under Jagan Reddy's administration and concerns over development stagnation and alleged corruption in various sectors.

For Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, YSRCP leader and Political Advisor to the AP Government, the robust turnout signaled "a vote of confidence in the policies of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy."

But TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena President Pawan Kalyan perceive the high turnout as a testament to voter awareness and support for the opposition coalition.

(With inputs from IANS)