May 19th 2024.
On Sunday, the Election Commission of India announced that more than eight crore voters will be exercising their right to vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20. This will also include the polling for 35 Assembly constituencies of the Odisha Legislative Assembly that will be taking place simultaneously.
According to the ECI, this phase will witness a large number of voters with an estimated 8.95 crore people casting their votes. A total of 94,732 polling stations have been set up to accommodate the voters. Among the voters, there are 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5,409 third-gender voters.
The Election Commission has further informed that polling will take place in 49 Parliament constituencies across eight states and union territories. In addition, there are over 7.81 lakh registered voters above the age of 85, 24,792 voters above the age of 100, and 7.03 lakh PwD voters who have been given the option to vote from their homes for the fifth phase.
In the previous four phases, a turnout of 66.95 per cent has been recorded, according to the ECI. To ensure a fair and safe election, the commission has set up 216 international border check posts and 565 inter-state border check posts to monitor any illegal activities such as the distribution of alcohol, drugs, cash, and other freebies.
The commission has also taken measures to make the voting process smoother for the voters by providing 12 alternative documents for identity verification at polling stations, in addition to the voter ID card. The seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections will be held on June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.
IANS
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