Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Voting is a national responsibility and everyone eligible to cast a vote should exercise their right and vote in favour of their desired candidates. As responsible citizens, it is our duty to take part in the voting process no matter even if you are a first-timer. The power to bring change and shape the future of India lies in the hands of these young and dynamic individuals.
To help first-time voters during this election, National Geographic India has shared a voter guide to make the voting experience hassle-free for them.
Guide For First-Time Voters
Step 1: Register as a voter and get your voter ID: Become an official participant in India's democratic saga by registering as a voter and obtaining your Voter ID. Complete this crucial step by visiting voters.eci.gov.in and submitting Form 6. Your Voter ID is your ticket to the ballot battleground.
Step 2: Know your Candidates: Arm yourself with knowledge about the contenders competing for your vote. Check your voting date on the ECI website and locate your designated polling station, typically within a convenient 2-kilometre radius of your residence. Remember to carry your Voter ID, as you’ll be asked to show it before you enter the polling booth.
Step 3: Do not carry any Electronics: Bid adieu to electronic distractions as you step inside the polling booths. Leave behind your mobile phones, laptops, tablets and any other gadgets. They are not allowed inside the polling station.
Step 4: Get yourself verified: The first polling official will verify your name on the voter list and examine your ID proof. The second polling official will ink your finger, and hand you a slip. The issuance of the slip marks the commencement of your electoral voyage. After depositing the slip to the third polling official, you will be asked to proceed to the polling booth.
Step 5: Record your Vote: As you stand before the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), press the ballot button adjacent to the name and symbol of your chosen candidate. In case you do not support any candidate, you can press NOTA (None of the above).
Step 6: Verify the Slip: Witness your choice materialise before your eyes as the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine displays a slip in a transparent window showcasing your candidate's details - serial number, name, and symbol. You have seven seconds to verify your vote before the slip descends into the sealed box below.
Step 7: It's Voting Time: Just like that, exercise your voting power. Voting is for everyone. If you're 18 years and above, congratulations, you have won the golden ticket to democracy’s dance floor. And if you're 17, then you can submit your application for next year.
National Geographic is set to premiere India Votes: World’s Largest Election, an exclusive peek into the grand spectacle of Indian General Elections, on May 23, Thursday, at 8 pm.