Election Commission all set for Phase-5 Lok Sabha 2024 elections

New Delhi, May 19: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is all prepared for Phase-5 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, set to commence tomorrow, May 20, 2024. Voting will be held for 49 Parliamentary Constituencies (39 General, 3 ST, 7 SC) in eight States/UTs. Voting will begin at 7 AM and end at 6 PM, though timings may vary by constituency.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Baramulla constituency will be voting tomorrow, along with Union Territory Ladakh, which has one parliamentary seat. Extensive security measures have been implemented in north Kashmir to ensure smooth polling in Baramulla.

Simultaneously, 35 Assembly Constituencies in the Odisha Legislative Assembly will also be voting. Polling stations are equipped with necessary amenities, such as shade, drinking water, ramps, and toilets, to ensure a comfortable and secure voting environment, Election Commission said.

Local Chief Electoral Officers and District Electoral Officers have been instructed to take measures to manage hot weather conditions where forecasted. Polling parties have been dispatched with all required machines and materials to their respective stations.

Around 947,000 polling officials will oversee the process, welcoming over 89.5 million voters across 94,732 polling stations. This voter base includes 46.9 million men, 42.6 million women, and 5,409 third-gender electors.

To facilitate polling logistics, 17 special trains and 508 helicopter sorties have been arranged. The ECI has deployed 153 Observers, including 55 General Observers, 30 Police Observers, and 68 Expenditure Observers, to ensure vigilance and smooth operations. Additional Special Observers are present in certain states.

Special accommodations have been made for over 781,000 voters aged 85 and above, 24,792 voters over 100 years old, and 703,000 persons with disabilities, who have the option to vote from home.

A total of 2,000 Flying Squads, 2,105 Static Surveillance Teams, 881 Video Surveillance Teams, and 502 Video Viewing Teams are in place to monitor and address any attempts to influence voters. Strict surveillance is being maintained at 216 international border check posts and 565 inter-state border check posts to prevent the illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies. Sea and air routes are also being monitored.

Polling stations are equipped with essential facilities like water, shade, toilets, ramps, volunteers, wheelchairs, and electricity to ensure that every voter, including the elderly and persons with disabilities, can vote comfortably.

ECI said that Voter Information Slips have been distributed to all registered voters, serving as both a facilitation measure and an invitation from the Commission to vote. Voters can check their polling station details and poll dates at https://electoralsearch.eci.gov.in/.

For identification at polling stations, the Commission has provided 12 alternative documents in addition to the Voter ID card (EPIC). More information on these alternative identification documents can be found at https://www.eci.gov.in/eci-backend/public/api/download.

.The ECI has urged voters to turn out in large numbers, emphasizing the importance of voting with responsibility and pride. So far, the voter turnout in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 stands at about 66.95%, with around 451 million people having voted in the first four phases.

The states and UTs participating in Phase-5 are Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Major cities like Mumbai, Thane, and Lucknow will also be voting in this phase, and the Commission has called on urban voters to overcome past trends of low turnout.

The remaining three phases of the election will continue until June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4. Polling for 23 States/UTs and 379 Parliamentary Constituencies was completed s in the first four phases.