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Poor show by overseas Indian voters in Lok Sabha polls
According to the data released by the Election Commission of India, a total of 1,19,374 overseas electors registered to vote, but the voting turnout remained disappointing.
ECI logo. / Facebook
Despite a notable surge in registrations, voter turnout among Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections remained abysmally low. According to the data released by the Election Commission of India, a total of 1,19,374 overseas electors registered to vote, marking an increase of over 19,500 registrations compared to the 99,844 in the 2019 elections. However, the turnout remains disappointing, with only a small fraction of those enrolled casting their votes.
State-wise breakdown of overseas electors and voters
The data highlights stark variations in voter engagement across states, with some states showing minimal participation, while others have slightly higher turnout.
In Andhra Pradesh, a total of 7,927 overseas electors were registered, with only 195 voters casting their ballots—154 male and 41 female. This represents a voter turnout of just 2.5 percent.
Arunachal Pradesh, on the other hand, saw no overseas electors or voters, reflecting a complete lack of participation. Assam and Bihar also displayed extremely low turnout, with a total of 19 and 89 registered electors, respectively, and no votes cast in both states.
States with higher but still low turnout
Goa, which had 84 overseas electors, saw no voters turn out, and Gujarat had 885 overseas electors, but only 2 voters participated. Similarly, Haryana reported 746 electors, with only 37 voters, mostly from the general category. Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh also reported very low turnout, with 34 and 107 electors registered, but no votes cast.
Kerala, with the highest number of overseas electors (89,839), saw a relatively higher turnout, with 2,670 voters casting their ballots. Despite this, the turnout remained only 2.97 percent, reflecting the overall apathy among the NRI electorate.
Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu showed even lower participation rates. Odisha, with 197 electors, also had zero participation, a trend that continued across states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, which similarly recorded no voters from their overseas electorates.
Minuscule turnout in remote regions
Among the more remote regions like Ladakh, Lakshadweep, and Jammu and Kashmir, there were no overseas electors or voters. Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu also had low participation, with a combined total of 64 electors and only 1 vote cast in Chandigarh.
Despite the increase in registrations, voter turnout among overseas Indians in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was dismal, with many states reporting no voters at all. The reasons behind such low turnout remain complex, ranging from logistical challenges in voting to a lack of awareness or interest in the electoral process.
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