Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 | How to vote as a first-time voter

Maharashtra is all set for the upcoming Assembly elections where polling for the 288-member Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra will be held on November 20. The counting of votes is scheduled to happen on November 23.

As the state gears up for polling, let us take a look at how someone as a first-time voter can cast their vote.

First-time voters must register on the Election Commission of India (ECI) website in order to cast their vote. To register, citizens must complete Form 6 online at the National Voters' Service Portal.

After entering all their required details on the ECI website, first-timers can check for the polling booth they are allocated to.

Below is the process of casting vote:

• Upon entering the polling booth, one will find three polling officers seated next to one another.

• Then one has to head towards the second officer to get the finger marked with indelible ink to cast the vote.

• The third step is to give the signature or thumbprint to cross the voter's name off the electoral roll.

• Now, the voter will have to cast their vote on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), by selecting the political party they want to vote for, from the list available on the device, and press the blue button next to it. Once done, an LED on the EVM turns red and the VVPAT machine generates a slip confirming that the vote has been cast.

• In case of any inconsistency between the voter's selection of party and the VVPAT slip, the presiding officer can be approached to file a complaint.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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