Published Apr 23, 2026 | 10:24 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 23, 2026 | 10:52 PM
Tamil Nadu recorded an estimated 85% voter turnout.
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu recorded an estimated 85% turnout in the 2026 Assembly election, its highest since Independence, but the surge comes after the removal of 74 lakh voters from the rolls. While the percentage suggests a historic high, the actual increase in votes, around 29 lakh, points to a more nuanced story behind the headline numbers.
Tamil Nadu recorded an estimated 85% voter turnout in the 2026 Assembly election held on Thursday, 23 April, marking what is being described as the highest polling percentage in the state since Independence.
Voting began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm, with large crowds seen across all 234 constituencies throughout the day.
At first glance, the numbers suggest a dramatic jump from the 73.63% turnout in 2021, an increase of over 11 percentage points. This has widely been projected as a significant electoral moment. But a closer look at the data tells a more layered story, one shaped not just by higher participation, but also by changes in the electoral roll and the actual number of votes polled.
Out of the 5,73,43,291 registered voters, over 4.7 crore cast their votes this time. However, this election follows a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise conducted between December 2025 and January 2026, during which around 74 lakh voters were removed from the rolls. Against this backdrop, the increase in actual votes, approximately 29 lakh more than the previous election, raises questions about how “historic” this surge truly is.
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The 2026 Assembly election was peaceful compared to previous polls.
Polling began as early as 7 am in the 75,064 polling booths set up across the state.
Chief Minister MK Stalin, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leader Vijay, Opposition Leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami, film personalities, and many star candidates cast their votes in the first half of the day.
The general public also turned up in large numbers from early morning and cast their votes at various polling stations.
Thousands of people who tried to travel from major cities like Chennai and Coimbatore to their hometowns faced difficulties due to insufficient road transport facilities from the night of Wednesday, 22 April. However, those issues were later addressed.
The highest voter turnout has been recorded in the Karur district, with 92.66% polling. The lowest turnout has been recorded in the Kanniyakumari district: 75.61%.
The Kolathur constituency, where the Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin is contesting, recorded a voter turnout of 86.11%. In the Perambur constituency, where actor Vijay is contesting, the voter turnout was 89.71%, while in Tiruchy East constituency, it stood at 81.77%.
In the Edappadi constituency in Salem, where Opposition Leader and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami is contesting, 92.08% voter turnout has been recorded.
Karaikudi in Sivaganga, where Naam Tamilar Katchi coordinator Seeman is contesting, recorded a voter turnout of 74.05%
Among these, the highest turnout was in Edappadi constituency (92.08%), and the lowest in Karaikudi (74.05%).
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In Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Chepauk–Triplicane constituency, the voter turnout was 84.34%. In the previous election, the turnout was 58.7%.
Similarly, constituencies where key DMK ministers and prominent leaders are contesting have also recorded significant turnout. In the Bodinayakanur constituency, where former AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who recently joined the DMK, is contesting, 82.70% turnout has been recorded. In the previous election, the turnout was 77.04%.
In the Coimbatore South constituency, where V Senthil Balaji is contesting after shifting from Karur, the turnout this time is 82.11%, compared to 61.22% in the previous election.
In Katpadi, where senior DMK minister Durai Murugan is contesting, 74.43% turnout was recorded in the previous election, and he then won by a narrow margin. This time, the turnout has risen sharply to 88.07%.
In Sriperumbudur, where Congress state president K. Selvaperunthagai is contesting, 86.10% turnout has been recorded, compared to 74.38% in the previous election.
BJP state president Nainar Nagendran, who contested and won from Tirunelveli in the previous election, is contesting this time from the Sattur constituency in Virudhunagar district. The constituency has recorded a 85.70% turnout, compared to the previous 75.69%.
BJP leader and former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan is contesting from the Mylapore constituency this time. The turnout there is 74.69%, compared to 56.71% in the previous election.
Although the election was largely peaceful, polling was disrupted or halted in some constituencies due to certain issues.
In the Perumpathu polling booth in the Nanguneri constituency of Tirunelveli, not a single person from the village voted. The villagers boycotted the election, alleging that the government failed to take proper action over a double murder that had occurred there a month ago.
Similarly, in Vellaikonpatti village in the Manapparai constituency of Tiruchirappalli, people who had gathered to vote were allegedly attacked by security personnel accompanying the District Superintendent of Police Selva Nagarathinam. The villagers protested, stating they would not vote until action was taken. Later, after talks with district election officials and senior police officers, the situation was brought under control.
In Chennai’s Harbour constituency, an argument broke out between DMK candidate and minister Sekarbabu and TVK candidate Sinora Ashok, leading to tension after polling ended. Police intervened and controlled the situation.
Minor arguments between party members occurred in a few places, but officials intervened promptly and ensured the smooth conduct of the election.
Meanwhile, TVK had submitted a request to the Election Commission to extend polling by two hours for voters who were delayed due to a lack of bus services. However, the request was not accepted. Those who had arrived at polling stations before 6 pm were given tokens and allowed to vote even after the closing time.
In some polling booths, allegations were raised that individuals without proper identification were allowed to vote, and in some cases, votes were cast by someone else in place of the actual voter.
In the Mylapore constituency, Tamilisai Soundararajan staged a brief protest along with her supporters, alleging that a person without an ID was allowed to vote.
Similarly, in the Karaikudi constituency, TVK candidate Dr Prabhu and his supporters protested, alleging irregularities.
Actress Akshaya Hariharan, who came to vote at a polling booth in Adyar, released a video stating that her vote had already been cast by someone else before 8 am.
She said that after nearly an hour of discussion with election officials, she was allowed to cast a tendered vote and urged everyone to remain vigilant while voting.
A TVK functionary has been arrested for allegedly recording a video of the voting process inside a polling booth and sharing it on social media, which has since gone viral.
The man recorded a video of voting on an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at a polling booth in Tirupattur using a mobile phone. The video was uploaded as a reel on Instagram through an account named “Sakthi Prabha” and circulated widely across social media platforms.
Following the controversy and public criticism, action was taken. Kandili Police arrested a man identified as Sakthi Prabha from the Kunichi area in connection with the incident.
The 2026 Assembly election recorded a 85% voter turnout, and it is being described as historic. However, the past five elections have seen a consistent increase in voter turnout.
After the SIR, 74 lakh voters were removed from the electoral roll. However, in the 2026 Assembly election, only an additional 29 lakh votes have been recorded.
It is also noteworthy that around 14 lakh first-time voters have been registered this time.
While turnout percentages suggest a record, the actual increase in votes remains modest, particularly after the removal of 74 lakh voters during the SIR exercise.
With only around 29 lakh additional votes recorded, the ‘historic turnout’ narrative appears more nuanced than it appears.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
