SRINAGAR: With the release of the first notification for legislative elections in Jammu and Kashmir on August 20, the final voter lists for the Union Territory will be unveiled the same day, with the voter count anticipated to be close to nine million.
Based on the latest update of previous voter records, Jammu and Kashmir currently has 8.079 million registered voters. After the final voter lists are published on August 20, the number of eligible voters is expected to range between 8.8 million and 8.9 million, nearly reaching nine million.
With the finalization of the voter lists, the current Special Summary Revision process will conclude. The voter rolls for each legislative segment will also be made available, granting political parties and candidates access to them.
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“The lists detailing the regions and voters will hold greater importance this time, as the boundaries of many legislative constituencies have been altered following the work conducted by the Delimitation Commission after the number of legislative seats increased from 83 to 90,” the officials told The New Indian.
Among the 8.709 million voters currently registered in the Union Territory, 4.446 million are male and 4.262 million are female.
Additionally, there are 169 transgender individuals, 82,590 people with disabilities, 73,943 elderly citizens, 2,660 centenarians, 76,092 service voters, and 371,000 first-time voters.
Over two million voters (around 2.1 million) are young adults between the ages of 20 and 29.
The total number of polling stations in Jammu and Kashmir is 11,838, including 2,332 in urban areas and 9,506 in rural regions.
The average number of voters per polling station is 735.
The first notice for the three-phase legislative elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be issued on August 20 for a total of 24 constituencies.
Candidates can submit their nomination papers until August 27, with scrutiny of the documents taking place on August 28.
Candidates can withdraw their nomination papers by August 30. Voting for the first phase of the legislative constituencies will be held on September 18.
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The second phase of voting is set for September 25 for a total of 26 legislative segments, while the third phase of voting will occur on October 1 for 40 seats.
Since the legislative elections are being held after nearly ten years, the election authorities anticipate the number of candidates to range between 700 and 900.
A significant number of independent candidates are also expected to participate.
The voter turnout, which was strong in the Lok Sabha elections held in April-May this year, is likely to increase further, as legislative elections generally see higher turnout than parliamentary elections, officials noted.
Preparations for the elections are being made with the expectation of a large voter turnout and an increased number of candidates in the race, they added.