Voters queued outside polling stations in India's Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to vote in the first provincial election being held in a decade in the Himalayan region that has grappled with years of militant violence.

In the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir’s assembly polls held on September 18, a voter turnout of over 61% was recorded, mirroring the 2014 elections. Kishtwar district led with an impressive 80% turnout.

Should there be a disparity between the data on VVPATs and EVMs, the polling station's specific paper slips are re-examined. The count determined by the VVPAT paper slips takes precedence over the vote count recorded on the EVMs if the disparity continues.

India’s troubled region of Jammu and Kashmir saw a brisk turnout amid tight security as voters cast their ballots on Wednesday in the first regional legislative elections in a decade. The region, which has seen years of separatist violence and is at the centre of a dispute between India and Pakistan,

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, residents are voting in elections that some hope will lead to restoration of the territory's statehood, which ended when it became a federally governed territory in 2019.

Polling for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections began on September 18 amid tight security arrangements. The voting process that began at 7 am will conclude at 6 pm, per the Election Commission of India.

The initial phase of Jammu and Kashmir's assembly elections concluded with a voter turnout of 58.85 per cent, with Kishtwar leading at 77 per cent and Pulwama trailing at just over 46 per cent. This election is significant as it is the first since Article 370 was revoked.