It was scorekeeping — election style. A WhatsApp group for an association of housing societies in the Sewri constituency kept buzzing all of Wednesday, each complex proudly sharing hourly voter turnout updates like cricket scores. What started as simple updates quickly snowballed into a friendly competition with each society nudging their fellow residents to step out and vote, driving up the overall turnout in their complex and across the area.
This state assembly election marked a first for Maharashtra with 709 housing societies hosting polling booths right on their premises, aimed to make voting more accessible. And if the numbers reported at the end of the day by high-rises in Lower Parel to sprawling complexes in Thane, are anything to go by, the ease of access at in-society polling stations saw an uptick with housing societies across the city reporting voter turnouts as high as 95%.
“Around six months ago, we formed an informal association of large housing societies in the Sewri constituency,” said Gautam Deshpande, convenor of this association and resident of Ashok Gardens in Sewri. This network of middle and upper-middle-class residents focused on engaging with local representatives to address shared concerns—from electricity tariffs and water supply issues to illegal parking and late-night noise pollution.
With 12 of these societies hosting polling booths, their efforts seem to have paid off. “Each housing society hosted political representatives every weekend, we held multiple in-person meetings, and discussed common problems,” Deshpande explained. “This, along with easy access to polling stations within the societies, made voting convenient and a community effort.”
“Yes, high-rises in Sewri recorded between 70-95% turnout. When we vote en masse, we can make a real difference in election outcomes,” said Sarika Poddar, Parel’s Ashok Towers, society secretary, pleased with the turnout in her complex, pegging it at 70%.
Even municipal officials noticed the shift. “There was no reason for citizens not to come out and vote,” said a BMC officer. “It wasn’t just about convenience but also became a social outing and a chance for residents to meet others in their buildings and reconnect.”
At Oberoi Splendor on JVLR, which hosted two booths amidst its green surroundings, residents enjoyed an air-conditioned voting setup. Avantika Khanna called it “the best voting experience ever,” while first-time voter Palak Bahety appreciated the convenience but had a wish list for elected leaders.
“We need better roads and pavements. The city’s infrastructure is crumbling, and it affects us all,” she said.
Tasneem Shaikh, another resident, said she caught up with neighbours whom she had last met a year ago.
Omkar Wagh, a resident of Presidential Towers on LBS Marg in Ghatkopar (West), was pleased with the on-site voting setup, which ensured that at least 50-60% of residents in the complex turned out to vote.
“Normally, if the booth were at a nearby municipal school, turnout would probably have dropped below 50%. Our society makes a real effort to encourage people to vote and raise awareness, which made a noticeable impact,” he said.
The complex hosted three booths, with another three set up at a nearby high-rise.
Over at Palm Acres Society in Mulund East, 84-year-old Emiliana D’Souza, who arrived in a wheelchair, found the in-complex booth a huge convenience that made her happy that she could keep her record of never missing an election.
Voter turnout in Thane’s Centre Point Society in Panch Pakhadi saw a 35% jump compared to the last elections, thanks to the booth being just a stone’s throw away. “It’s been very convenient, and we hope this facility continues,” said resident Padmapriya Bangad. Happy Valley Society in the same area reported a similarly encouraging trend, with almost 65% of residents casting their votes by the evening, according to Shailendra Chikhalkar.
In some housing societies, the push to vote came with a bit of friendly pressure — a rumour that if voter turnout didn’t hit the 75% mark, they might lose the luxury of having polling booths right at their doorstep in future elections. The tactic seemed to do the trick.
For the poll officers, too, the new setup was a welcome change. Instead of sweating it out in sweltering classrooms or balancing on creaky benches in school buildings, they got to spend the day in plush, air-conditioned clubhouses, making the workday far more comfortable—and perhaps more productive—than usual.