Voting for the fourth phase of the Jammu and Kashmir panchayat elections ended peacefully on Tuesday. The polling began at 8 am on Tuesday and ended at 2 pm.

An overall voter turnout of 71.3% was recorded in the state. While 32.3% was recorded in the Kashmir Valley, while 82.4% cast their vote in Jammu. In Baramulla, 63.4% polling was reported, while in Pulwama, the lowest turnout of 0.6% was recorded. In Jammu division, 82.5% voter turnout was recorded.

The polling was conducted at 2,618 booths across the state. This includes 1,979 booths in Jammu and 639 in Kashmir, Kashmir Reader reported. State Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra said 777 of these polling stations were categorised as “hypersensitive”, including 571 in Kashmir and 206 in Jammu. He added that adequate security arrangements were made, including deployment of personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces.

Kabra said 5,470 candidates contested the elections, for 339 sarpanch and 1,749 panch posts. Ninety nine sarpanchs and 969 panchs have already been elected unopposed. Around 8.04 lakh people are eligible to vote in the fourth phase.

The first phase of the elections on November 16 recorded around 75% voting, the second phase on November 19 around 71.1%, and the third phase on November 23 around 75%