The Union Territory of Puducherry has recorded a historic high voter turnout of 91.23% in the polls that concluded on Thursday (April 9, 2026) to elect a 30-member Legislative Assembly.

Officials in the Puducherry Elections Department said the votes polled in the Electronic Voting Machines on Thursday was 89.87% of the total 9,50,639 electors who had found mention in the final electoral roll for the 2026 Assembly polls. The department had received around 12,000 postal ballots, accounting to 1.36% of the electorate. The total votes polled in the EVMs along with the postal ballots would take the voter turnout to 91.23%, the official said.

The previous highest voter turnout of 86% was recorded in 2006 polls. The voter turnout in some of the other Assembly elections are as follows: 2021 - 83.3%; 2016 - 85.08%; 2011 - 85.52%; 2001 - 70.1%; 1996 - 75.33%; 1991 - 67.73%; 1990 - 72.3%; 1985 - 78.39% and 1980 - 80.41%.

Though the total voter turnout recorded on the polling day was 89.87%, as many as 14 constituencies had crossed the 90% mark with four of them registering close to 95%. Of the constituencies that crossed the 90% mark, four are segments reserved for Scheduled Caste communities. 

In fact, the constituency that witnessed the maximum polling was the reserved constituency of Ossudu with a polling percentage of 94.39. A multi-cornered contest was evident from the campaigning in Ossudu constituency with candidates of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Naam Tamilar Katchi engaged in a bitter contest.

The other constituencies that crossed the 90% polling mark are Bahour (94. 35%); Mangalam (94. 14%); Thirubhuvanai-SC (94.09%); Embalam-SC (93. 91%); Nettapakkam-SC (93.81%); Mannadipet (93. 59%); Yanam (93. 35%); Manavely (92. 27%); Kalapet (91. 72%); Nellithope (91. 24%); Indira Nagar ( 90. 46%); Ariankuppam (90. 3%) and Villianur (90. 23%). 

Noticeable is the fact that four of the five reserved constituencies have registered more than 90% voting, the lone exception being the Nedungadu constituency in Karaikal which recorded 88.33%. Also, among the 14 constituencies that registered more than 90% polling, nine are in the rural areas. 

The voter turnout was between 85% and 89% in constituencies such as Ouppalam, Orleanpet, Muthialpet, Kadirgamam, Mudaliarpet, Thirunallar, Lawspet, Raj Bhavan, Ozhukarai, Neravy T R Pattinam, Kamaraj Nagar, Thattanchavady and Karaikal North. The least polling percentages of 83. 46% and 77. 41% were recorded in the constituencies of Karikal South and Mahe, respectively.