Kerala assembly polls: Idukki records 77.2% voter turnout

Idukki: Despite the intense summer heat, voters in Idukki came out in large numbers as the district recorded an impressive 77.2% voter turnout across its five constituencies. The final percentage is expected to rise further with the inclusion of postal votes. Polling began on Thursday morning and saw a strong turnout across booths. While the scorching heat caused a slight dip in turnout by midday, polling picked up pace again in the afternoon. By around 5pm, the district had already surpassed its previous polling percentages in all constituencies. Long queues were visible at most polling booths from as early as 7am. By noon, the district had crossed the 50% polling mark. Women and young voters turned out in large numbers. Being an agrarian district, many voters preferred to cast their votes early and return to their farms and workplaces, contributing to the high turnout before noon. Weather forecasts predicting heavy rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon also prompted many voters to cast their votes early in the day. However, minor disruptions were reported due to malfunctioning voting machines at several locations such as Udumbanchola and Arakkulam. Polling resumed after replacement machines were brought in. The district has a total of 8,05,427 voters across 1,076 polling booths, including 3,97,586 male voters, 4,07,833 female voters, and eight transgender voters.