Chennai, 08 April (H.S.):

Tamil Nadu has recorded a sharp rise in first-time voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, with the number of electors in the 18–19 age group increasing by nearly 33.6%, according to data released by the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.

The number of young voters has grown from 10.9 lakh during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to 14.6 lakh at present, marking a significant shift in the state’s electoral profile. This surge highlights increased political awareness and participation among youth in the run-up to the polls.

The overall electorate has also seen a marginal rise. After falling to 5.67 crore following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the total voter base has now increased to 5.73 crore as of April 6, the final day for filing nominations. The rise is attributed to fresh applications submitted through Form 6 after the publication of the revised rolls on February 13.

Notably, first-time voters now account for 2.5% of the total electorate, up from 1.8% during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Officials said the increase is partly due to deletions across age groups during the SIR process, which elevated the share of younger voters, but also reflects strong enrolment in recent weeks. Nearly one-third of the 6.36 lakh voters added since February were first-time voters.

The SIR exercise had initially reduced the electorate from 6.41 crore in October 2025 to 5.44 crore in December, before stabilising at 5.67 crore after claims and corrections.

As of April 6, Tamil Nadu has 5.73 crore voters, including 2.93 crore women and 2.80 crore men. Women outnumber men by 12.74 lakh, while 7,728 transgender voters are also registered.

With youth participation on the rise, political parties are expected to step up outreach efforts, as first-time voters could play a decisive role in a closely fought election.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman