Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Little but important things to keep in mind

The 17th Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases across the country with the first phase taking place on April 11 and the final phase on May 19. However, beyond the campaigns, allegations and counter allegations that make up a major segment of the electoral process, here is some information that generally gets lost within the flood of Whatsapp forwards, news and fake news:

1.First things first, check your name on the electoral roll

Either you can directly visit the official website of Election Commission of India and check your name in the voter list or you can download the Voter Helpline App on your Android mobile.

The Voter Helpline App can be used to search your name on the electoral roll and find out whether you will be able to cast your vote or not. Also, the app can be used to submit Form 6 by the citizens who are still in the process of registering their voter's ID or they can even check the status of their application.

The app is also a great platform to check results, press notes, candidate affidavits and other important instructions for voters.

If troubles persist, call the toll-free Helpline 1950

The Voter Helpline 1950 has been made available for all the voter queries. It is a pan India, toll-free number. You can ask for your details on the electoral roll, the status of your applications, etc. You can also SMS on the helpline number for all your voting queries.

2. Use cVIGIL app to report misconduct by parties/candidates

The Model Code of Conduct is in effect since March 10 and if any political party or candidate is found to be violating it, then cVIGIL app enables the citizens to report their activities to the election authorities.

All you have to do is take a picture or make a video of the violation and describe the activity briefly while uploading it on the app. The complainant can also stay anonymous if he wishes to remain so.

3. Know the election schedule and key dates

The 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are the three states where polling will be held in all seven phases.

Apart from the General elections, four states - Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim - will also see Assembly elections.

So, check out the detailed election schedule and keep abreast of current affairs.

4. What to keep in mind on polling day

This time out, all the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will have an attached Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) to safeguard your vote.

Also, for the first time, all the EVMs will have faces of the contestants along with their party symbols to make it easy for the voters to recognize them better.

If there's misconduct during the poll process, you can record it and send it to the Election Commission through the cVIGIL app. The CEC has assured that a government official will act on the complaint within 100 minutes.