Page 14 - Voting

Manipur LS polls: Over 24k displaced people to vote from relief camps

Eleven months of conflict, over 50,000 displaced people and an anti-poll sentiment among few---the Election Commission in violence-hit Manipur is gearing up for the challenging task of holding Lok Sabha elections in the state where the poll scene is muted. Chief Electoral Officer, Pradeep Kumar Jha said over 24,500 displaced people have been identified as eligible to vote in the upcoming elections and special arrangements have been made for them to cast their franchise from relief camps. "A total of 2,955 polling stations will be set up in the state for the Lok Sabha elections, out of which around 50 per cent have been identified as sensitive, vulnerable or critical. We are also setting up 94 special polling stations to facilitate voting by internally displaced persons (IDPs), Jha told PTI. As per Election Commission of India (ECI) norms, a vulnerability mapping of hamlets, villages and electoral segments vulnerable for threat and intimidation, is conducted ahead of polls. "Special

LS polls: Maoist-hit areas of Singhbhum to witness voting for first-time

Come May 13, many interior areas in the Maoist den of Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat in Jharkhand will witness voting for the first time, or after decades-long gap, as polling teams and materials will be air dropped from helicopters to enable people living in Saranda, Asia's densest Sal forest, to exercise their franchise. As many as 118 remote booths will be set up by personnel and materials dropped from choppers. "We are committed to ensuring that no voter is left out... we have identified many areas where polling will be conducted for the first time or after nearly two decades as these locations were badly affected by Maoist insurgency," West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner cum District Election Officer Kuldeep Chaudhary told PTI. Despite improvement in the situation, West Singhbhum remains one of the worst left-wing extremism-affected districts of the country. It had witnessed 46 Maoist-related incidents resulting in 22 deaths last year. Polling stations such as Middle School, Nugdi an

EC identifies 266 parl seats with lower voter turnout; plans intervention

The Election Commission on Friday said it has identified 266 parliamentary constituencies, including 215 in rural areas, with low voter turnout and is planning targeted intervention to enhance voting percentage in Lok Sabha polls. Municipal commissioners from major cities and select district election officers (DEOs) from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh discussed enhancing voter engagement and participation in identified urban and rural Lok Sabha seats. At its conference on low voter turnout here, the EC said 266 parliamentary constituencies -- 215 rural and 51 urban -- with low voter turnout have been identified. Eleven states and union territories, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, had a voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the participants, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stressed that 'one size fits all' approac

EC issues guidelines for genuine electors to cast vote without voter I-card

Seeking to ensure that no genuine elector is deprived of the right to vote, the Election Commission has told state poll officers to ignore clerical or spelling errors provided the voter's identity can be established through the voter I-card. It has also said that a voter I-card issued by the electoral registration officer of another assembly constituency will be accepted for identification provided the elector's name is in the electoral rolls of the polling station where he or she has turned up. In case of a mismatch of photograph, the elector will have to produce one of the alternative photo documents listed out by the EC. In an order issued last month, the EC said the electors who are not able to produce their voter I-card will have to furnish one of the alternative photo identity documents for establishing their identity. These include the Aadhaar card, MNREGA job card, passbooks with photograph issued by a bank or post office, health insurance smart card issued by the Labour ..

NOTA vote share declines in 2019 LS polls to 1.06% from 1.08% in 2014

A statewise look at the data shows that in 2019, Bihar recorded the highest percentage of NOTA vote share of 2%

Bias at the ballot box: The ways voters are influenced in elections

Authority figures to availability choice: Our voting decisions are often coloured by biases that are often unconscious

LS polls: Over 58,000 voters opt for home voting option so far in Rajasthan

More than 58,000 voters in Rajasthan have so far opted for home voting in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, an official said on Wednesday. For the first phase of the general election, 35,542 people, including 26,371 senior citizens and 9,171 persons with disabilities, have registered for home voting, the state's Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said. Registration for home voting in the first phase of the polls will be completed Wednesday, he said. Returning officers will share the list of registered home voters with all recognised political parties and candidates by April 1. Booth-level officers are completing the registration process of eligible home voters in all 25 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state, Gupta said. After the names of the candidates for the constituencies are finalised, door-to-door voting will be conducted, he said. "So far, over 58,000 eligible voters have opted to vote from home. These include 43,638 senior citizens and 14,385 persons with disabilities," the

Postal ballot voting: Eligibility and process for Lok Sabha elections 2024

Everything you need to know about voting by mail ahead of the 2024 general elections and state Assembly polls

Lok Sabha elections, phase 1: Nomination process begins, voting on April 19

The nomination process for 102 parliamentary constituencies spread across 21 states and Union territories, where polling would be held in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19, began on Wednesday with the issuance of a notification. According to the notification issued by the Election Commission on behalf of the President, the last date for filing nomination papers is March 27. However, due to a festival, March 28 is the last date for filing nominations for the Lok Sabha seats in Bihar going to polls in the first phase. Voting in four out of 40 seats in Bihar will be held in the first phase. Nomination papers will be scrutinised on March 28. For Bihar, it would be done on March 30. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 20 while for Bihar, it is April 2. The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on April 19 followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4. The states where

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Rajasthan declares holiday on voting days

A paid holiday has been declared for all workers in private, industrial institutions and government undertakings on the voting day for the Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan. Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said that the Rajasthan government has issued a notification in this regard. According to the notification, there will be a holiday in the offices and work places in the 12 Lok Sabha constituencies on Friday, April 19, for the first phase of voting and the 13 constituencies in the second phase on Friday, April 26, so that the voters can exercise their franchise on the said dates. According to Section 135 'B' of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, there is a provision for granting paid leave to employees on the day of voting. This includes people employed in any business, profession, industrial undertaking or any other establishment. Those entitled to vote will be given leave on the day of polling, an official statement said. These provisions shall not apply to voters wh

No road, no vote: villagers puts up banner outside Amethi ahead of polls

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, local people have put up a banner saying "no road, no vote" outside their village in the Gauriganj tehsil here, drawing attention to their problems. A banner came up outside Purey Alpi Tiwari hamlet in Sarmeny village under Jamo block on Monday warning to boycott the coming elections with the locals raising slogans. Amethi, which is considered as a VVIP constituency, was represented by the Nehru-Gandhi family until Union minister Smriti Irani wrested the Lok Sabha seat in 2019. Gauriganj SDM Digvijay Singh on Tuesday said information about the villagers' protest has been received and effort will be made to solve the problem following further investigation. Omprakash Ojha, a resident of the hamlet, told reporters that there are seven small roads connecting the village to nearby areas but all of them are unpaved. "Due to lack of access to the village, we have to perform the marriages of our sons and daughters elsewhere. Even bikes cannot mov

Delhi poll body sets up flying squads to check on voter intimidation

The office of the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer has set up flying squads and control rooms across the city's seven Lok Sabha constituencies to check incidents of voter intimidation. In a public notice issued on Sunday, the poll office in Delhi said district election functionaries or returning officers will enforce the Model Code of Conduct in letter and spirit. Polling for Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 25 in the sixth phase of the general elections, with 1.47 crore people eligible to exercise their franchise, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India on Saturday. According to the notice, flying squads have been formed to register cases against both the "giver" and the "taker" of bribes and for taking action against those engaged in threat and intimidation of electors. "All the citizens are hereby requested to refrain from any illegal activities as above and in case anybody offers any bribe or is having knowledge about the bribe or c

Vote for leadership which has vision, track record of doing work: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the country has witnessed a historic decade of good governance, security, welfare of all sections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appealed to everyone to vote for a leadership which has a track record of doing work and a vision to make India developed. He also appealed to youths, women and all voters of the country to participate in this great festival of democracy by voting in maximum numbers to elect the BJP-led NDA which will put the nation first. "The 2024 Lok Sabha elections have been announced today by the Election Commission. Elections are a great festival for the world's largest democracy. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has witnessed a historic decade of good governance, security, welfare of all sections and reconstruction of cultural heritage. "To maintain the pace of India's development journey, cast your vote for a leadership which has a track record of doing work an

Kerala LS polls: Debates on national issues will impact voter sentiments

Ahead of the April 26 Lok Sabha election in Kerala, the political scene in the southern state is buzzing with debates on various key national issues that have the potential to sway voter sentiments significantly. The upcoming elections are poised for a heated contest as critical issues such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), electoral bond controversies, Manipur's unrest, and human-animal conflicts in the state dominate the electoral landscape, setting the stage for a showdown between the CPI(M)-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF, and the BJP-led NDA. The Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has a considerable sway in Kerala's politics, is facing heavy scrutiny over many issues including the central agencies' probe into Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter's IT firm to the recent allegations of violence against the Left student organsiation, SFI. However, with its staunch opposition to the CAA, the stern secular stance opposing the BJP and the long list of development projects a

Voting in Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats will take place on May 25

Voting in Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats will take place on May 25, the sixth phase of the general elections, with 1.47 crore people eligible for exercising their franchise, according to the poll schedule announced by the Election Commission on Saturday. The notification will be issued on April 29 and the last date for filing nominations is May 6. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is May 9. The city has 1.47 crore voters, including 79.98 lakh males and 67.42 lakh females. The Lok Sabha polls will be held across the country in seven phases beginning April 19 and the counting of votes will take place on June 4 for the world's biggest election exercise in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bid for a third consecutive term. With the AAP and the Congress having entered a seat-sharing agreement for Delhi this time, the city is set to witness a direct contest between the alliance and the BJP which holds all the seven Lok Sabha seats of the national capital since 2014. The A

Lok Sabha election 2024: 12 states have more women voters than men, says EC

Twelve states have more women voters than men, with a total of 47.1 crore females registered in the electoral roll in the country, the Election Commission said on Saturday. Addressing a press conference on elections to Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said gender ratio is 948 women to 1000 men in the country which is a "very healthy sign" of women participation in the electoral cycle. "There are 12 such states where the gender ratio is over 1000 which means that number of women voters is more than males and 1.89 crore new voters have joined, out of them in the age group of 18-19 years there are 85.3 lakh women electors so they are going side by side so that is a very healthy sign that women are also participating equally in our elections," he said. He did not give names of the states. Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19 and results will be announced on June 4, Kumar said. The other phases will

Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase I: Voting on April 19; check details here

Lok Sabha polls 2024: 21 states and Union territories will go to polls in the first phase of the 2024 general elections

Stage set for world's largest democratic exercise: What 2019 numbers say?

So will the ruling BJP snatch a record third term? Or the Opposition Congress and its allies will script a success story? This is something the ballot will decide now

Lok Sabha polls: EC directs observers to ensure intimidation-free elections

The Election Commission on Monday asked its observers to ensure polls free of coercion and intimidation and pushed for judicious use of central and state forces keeping in mind that their deployment should not favour any particular party. Addressing a meeting of more than 2,100 general, police and expenditure observers here ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections and some state assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar directed them to ensure a level-playing field for free and fair elections. The polls should be free of intimidation and inducement, he said. The CEC reminded them that as observers, they represent the commission, and are expected to conduct themselves professionally and be accessible to all stakeholders, including candidates. The observers were instructed to be tough but polite in their conduct on the field, the Election Commission (EC) said in a statement. The observers were also asked to be confined physically within the boundarie

Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigns weeks ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 2027. According to a law ministry notification, Goel's resignation has been accepted by President Droupadi Murmu with effect from Saturday. It was not immediately known why he stepped down. Goel, a retired bureaucrat, was a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. He had joined the Election Commission in November 2022. Following the retirement of Anup Pandey in February and Goel's resignation, the three-member EC panel has now only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.