First-time voter? Your guide to voting in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

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The dates of the much anticipated Lok Sabha elections 2024 have been announced. The Election Commission of India announced the dates on March 16. India is set to vote in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The voting results will be announced on June 4.

The voting for the first phase will be held on April 19 followed by the second phase on April 26, third on May 7, fourth on May 13, fifth on May 20, sixth on May 25, and the seventh on June 1.

In an official statement released by the EC, nearly 96.8 crore people will be casting their votes at over 12 lakh polling stations. Further, over 1.85 crore of them belong to the 18-19 age group and are set to cast their vote for the first time.

For all the first-time voters, here are key factors to keep in mind:

First-time voters must register on the official website of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to be able to cast their votes. To get registered, it is crucial to fill the Form 6 online by visiting the National Voters' Service Portal.

They can also enrol offline by applying to the Electoral Registration Officers or Assistant Electoral Registration Officers.

Once the application process is done, voters should check if their names appear in the electoral roll of the constituency where they reside. This can be done by visiting the Electoral Registration Officer of their area or the ECI website.

They then need to check which polling booth they have been allocated.

Voters must follow the general voting procedure that includes the following steps:
1. On the day of voting, visit the allocated polling booth, and show your identity documents to the First Polling Officer.

2. Next, head to the Second Polling Officer to get your left forefinger marked with the ink.

3. Finally, sign or give their thumb impression in the Register of Voters and press the blue candidate button of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), on the Balloting Unit against the name and symbol of the candidate they wish to vote for. On pressing the button the red lamp will glow against the name and symbol of the candidate you voted for.
A beep sound will be heard indicating the vote being recorded.

4. After the voting is done, you will be provided with a slip confirming that the vote has been cast.

Additionally, if any voter has any grievance or complaints relating to the electoral roll or any other election-related subject, they can reach out to the presiding officer at the polling station.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in India, the BJP secured a landslide victory, winning 303 seats out of the total 542 contested seats. On the contrary, Congress faced a bitter defeat for the second consecutive time with only 52 seats in its hat.