An Illustrated Guide to Voting in the World’s Largest Democracy

India is gearing up to vote in the largest ever general election in the world, with nearly a billion people eligible to participate over a period of just over six weeks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a rare third term in power, facing opposition from a coalition of parties. The upcoming election in the world’s most populous country will see 969 million people casting their votes, which is more than the populations of North America and the European Union combined.

Motivated by issues such as unemployment, welfare benefits, infrastructure, and democracy, about 12% of the world’s population will head to the polls. The number of women registered to vote has increased by 40 million since the last election, and more than 20 million voters between ages 18 to 29 have been added to the electorate.

Indian citizens will be voting for 543 seats in the 545-seat lower house of parliament, known as the Lok Sabha. The party that secures a majority will appoint one of its winning candidates as prime minister to form the ruling government. Voting begins on April 19 and will last until June 1, with results announced on June 4. Some states have only one day to vote, while others like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal will vote over seven days.

With voting taking place electronically at over one million polling stations across the country, the election operation involves 15 million polling officials and security staff. These workers travel by various means such as road, boat, camel, train, and helicopters to ensure citizens across India have the opportunity to cast their votes.