Another election season is here. Kerala, Puducherry and Assam are heading to polling stations on Thursday. est Bengal and Tamil will follow suit on April 23.
Before going to the polling booth, ensure you have a photo ID card issued by the central or state government, or by a public sector institution. This can be a voter ID card, an Aadhaar card, a driving licence, or a passport issued by the government. It can also be a passbook with your photo issued by a post office or public bank, a PAN card, an NREGA job card, a health insurance smart card from the Ministry of Labour, or your ration card with your photo.
Things to know before entering the polling station
Keep your voting slip in hand. If you haven't received the voting slip, collect it from the Booth Level Officer (BLO) at the station. Deposit your mobile phone at the location where the Election Commission has arranged special provisions to ensure its safety.
Inside the polling station
Once you have entered, hand your voting slip to the first polling officer. They will cross-verify your photo ID card with the electoral roll.
The second polling officer will give you a slip, after which indelible ink will be applied to your index finger. In addition, you must sign Form 17A.
Hand over the slip given by the second officer to the third polling officer, who will recheck the indelible ink.
Once inside the voting compartment, on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), press the button next to your preferred candidate's name and election symbol. The NOTA option will be available at the bottom. Once the red light is displayed and a beep is heard, your vote has been registered.
If you check the VVPAT machine immediately after, you will be able to see your vote on the slip for exactly seven seconds before it drops into a separate compartment. The voting process is then complete.