Manipur registers record 88.63 voter turnout for its first phase elections

Female voter turnout at 89.96% outnumbered male turnout recorded at 87.29%

Manipur registered a record voter turn out of 88.63 per cent out of a total of 12.09 lakh registered voters for the first phase of the state legislative Assembly elections for 38 assembly segments, a statement issued by the Chief Electoral Officer said,

Female voter turnout at 89.96 per cent outnumbered male turnout recorded at 87.29 pc. Women "displayed more enthusiasm" the CEO said.

Some 176 wheelchairs were also booked by physically disabled voters using IT applications. This and other measures saw 97 per cent of voters who are 100 years old and above exercising their franchise.

Some 247 out of 253 ex-militants voted through postal ballot from 13 designated camps spread in Churachandpur, Pherzawl, Bishnupur and Kangpokpi.

Polling teams have safely returned to the reception centres and the EVM/VVPAT have been sealed in the Strong Rooms in presence of the election observers and the polling agents and placed under a three-tier security cover, the statement said.

Presiding Officers and EVM machines of seventeen polling stations of 55-Tipaimukh constituency were airlifted from Jiribam and will now be opened only on the date of counting in presence of the election agents.

Scrutiny of Form-17A and other election related documents has been carried out for all Phase-I assembly constituencies by the Returning Officer and the Observers in the presence of candidates and election agents.

The CEO acknowledged minor incidents were reported from a few polling stations but on examination found that "none of them actually had any detrimental impact on the poll process and the votes polled are safely stored and secure in the machines."

However, stray incidents of damaged EVMs have been reported and re-poll has been recommended for those Polling Stations.