Chennai, Apr 23: Tamil Nadu surpassed its highest Assembly polls turnout on Thursday, when over 80 per cent of the 5.73 crore voters cast their vote for the elections to 234 constituencies across the state.
Till 5 pm, the state recorded 82.24 per cent voting, according to Election Commission of India (EC) figures.
The state recorded its highest–78.29 per cent, in the 2011 polls that the AIADMK swept.
Incidentally, through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the electorate size has been reduced from 6.41 crore recorded in October 2025 to the current 5.73 crore. Consequently, the 2021 polls saw about 6.29 crore people registered, 56 lakh voters more than this year.
On Thursday, Salem district topped with 88.02 per cent voter turnout.
Chennai registered 81.34 per cent polling, while in Madurai it was 77.89 per cent, Coimbatore saw 82.33 per cent and the centrally located Tiruchirappalli district witnessed 82.76 percent polling.
Kolathur Assembly constituency in Chennai, where DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin is contesting, saw 83.58 polling till 5 pm.
At Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni, here, it was 81.89 per cent. Deputy CM and Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi is trying his luck for the second time from this city constituency.
Edappadi constituency in Salem recorded 89.09 per cent. AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is contesting from his traditional turf and is being challenged by the DMK, while actor Vijay’s TVK is backing an independent after the party nominee’s poll papers were rejected on technical grounds during scrutiny.
In Tiruchirappalli East, where Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay is contesting, 79.32 per cent polling was recorded till 5 pm.
