Electoral Registration Coverage and Socio-economic Well-being across Indian States and Union Territories

Electoral registration is the first step that allows an eligible citizen to take part in an election. However, most studies have focused on voter turnout rather than registration. This study focuses on whether electoral registration is related to socio-economic well-being in the 28 States and 08 Union Territories of India. Electoral registration is measured in terms of Electoral Inclusion Ratio (EIR). Composite Socioeconomic Well-being Index (CSWI) is constructed using 8 indicators covering income, education, health, poverty, banking access and public finance to measure socio-economic well-being. CSWI was not statistically significantly associated with EIR (r = −0.066, p = 0.704). Consequently, socio-economic wellbeing cannot solely account for the inequalities in electoral registration. Other factors such as, migration, age structure, access to registration services and quality of election administration may also be of relevance. Because registration provides the opportunity for electors to vote, EIR provide measure of electoral inclusion and political equality. However, it does not directly measure political awareness. The study suggests that an analysis of electoral registration should be made separately from that of voter