Results/Trends Results
ECI results
Analysis · over time

How elections changed

Tamil Nadu, 1962–2024. 16 general elections tracked.

Turnout
70.07%
↓ 2.31 pts from previous
Median margin
19.5%
↓ 1.6 pts from previous
Effective parties
6.5
↑ 0.96 from previous
NOTA
1.07%
↓ 0.18 pts from previous
Women elected
7.69%
↓ 2.57 pts from previous

[01]Turnout

Weighted votes ÷ electors, election by election
2024 70.07%39 seats
2019 72.38%39 seats
2014 73.7%39 seats
2009 73.1%39 seats
2004 60.63%39 seats
1999 57.98%39 seats
1998 57.95%39 seats
1996 66.93%39 seats
1991 63.92%39 seats
1989 66.86%39 seats
1984 72.98%39 seats
1980 66.76%39 seats
1977 67.14%39 seats
1971 71.82%39 seats
1967 74.24%39 seats
1962 66.53%41 seats

[02]How close the contests were

Median winning margin, election by election
2024 19.5%39 seats
2019 21.1%39 seats
2014 15.2%39 seats
2009 6.3%39 seats
2004 22.5%39 seats
1999 5.0%39 seats
1998 7.5%39 seats
1996 27.8%39 seats
1991 28.5%39 seats
1989 21.6%39 seats
1984 21.7%39 seats
1980 17.4%39 seats
1977 22.5%39 seats
1971 15.8%39 seats
1967 11.48%39 seats
1962 7.79%41 seats

[03]Ballot crowding

Candidates per seat over time
2024 24.2944 candidates
2019 21.8850 candidates
2014 21.7845 candidates
2009 21.1823 candidates
2004 14.6571 candidates
1999 9.3362 candidates
1998 7.6296 candidates
1996 19.2749 candidates
1991 11.8461 candidates
1989 13.0506 candidates
1984 5.5214 candidates
1980 6.4248 candidates
1977 5.0195 candidates
1971 2.9111 candidates
1967 3.3127 candidates
1962 3.7152 candidates

[04]Party fragmentation

Effective number of parties by vote share
2024 6.57 of 68 won seats
2019 5.67 of 65 won seats
2014 3.73 of 46 won seats
2009 6.47 of 42 won seats
2004 5.46 of 23 won seats
1999 6.58 of 32 won seats
1998 6.19 of 22 won seats
1996 5.43 of 26 won seats
1991 3.72 of 23 won seats
1989 3.83 of 22 won seats
1984 3.73 of 11 won seats
1980 4.44 of 10 won seats
1977 4.75 of 8 won seats
1971 4.16 of 10 won seats
1967 3.25 of 9 won seats
1962 3.74 of 14 won seats

[05]NOTA

None of the above, as a share of votes cast
2024 1.07%4,67,068 votes
2019 1.25%5,41,150 votes
2014 1.43%5,82,062 votes

[06]Deposits lost

Share of candidates polling under a sixth of valid votes
2024 90.78%857 of 944
2019 91.06%774 of 850
2014 88.52%748 of 845
2009 90.52%745 of 823
2004 86.34%493 of 571
1999 76.52%277 of 362
1998 72.97%216 of 296
1996 88.79%665 of 749
1991 82.43%380 of 461
1989 83.2%421 of 506
1984 63.55%136 of 214
1980 68.15%169 of 248
1977 60.0%117 of 195
1971 29.73%33 of 111
1967 37.8%48 of 127
1962 36.84%56 of 152

[07]Women elected

Share of winners who are women
2019 7.69%39 seats
2014 10.26%39 seats
2009 2.56%39 seats
2004 10.26%39 seats
1999 2.56%39 seats
1998 2.56%39 seats
1991 7.69%39 seats
1989 5.13%39 seats
1984 5.13%39 seats
1977 5.13%39 seats
1971 2.56%39 seats
1967 2.56%39 seats
1962 7.32%41 seats

[08]Incumbent re-election rate

Share of sitting members who won again
2019 0.0%0 of 8 re-elected
2014 13.64%3 of 22 re-elected
2009 43.48%10 of 23 re-elected
2004 76.47%13 of 17 re-elected
1999 51.72%15 of 29 re-elected
1998 24.14%7 of 29 re-elected
1996 26.09%6 of 23 re-elected
1991 96.15%25 of 26 re-elected
1989 88.89%24 of 27 re-elected
1984 55.0%11 of 20 re-elected
1980 42.11%8 of 19 re-elected
1977 60.0%9 of 15 re-elected
1971 76.47%13 of 17 re-elected
1967 61.54%8 of 13 re-elected

[09]Computed insights

Arithmetic over the series above, not commentary
  1. Turnout has fallen for three elections running: 73.7% (2014) → 72.38% (2019) → 70.07% (2024).

    three consecutive falls
  2. Ballots have grown much more crowded: 3.7 candidates a seat in 1962 against 24.2 in 2024.

    3.7 → 24.2 over 16 elections
  3. Women's share of elected members peaked at 10.26% in 2014; in 2019 it was 7.69%.

    peak 10.26% in 2014
  4. In 2019, 0.0% of sitting members who re-stood were re-elected — below the series average of 51.12%.

    0.0 vs avg 51.12 across 14 elections
  5. NOTA peaked at 1.43% in 2014 — 5,82,062 voters chose none of the above.

    highest NOTA share across 3 elections
  6. The highest deposit-loss rate was 91.06% in 2019: 774 of 850 candidates polled under a sixth of the valid vote.

    peak deposit losses in 2019
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