The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will be announced on June 4 (representative)

More than 1,663 crore voters at 1.87 lakh polling stations across the country will decide the fate of 1,625 candidates in the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Friday.

Deploying over 1.8 million polling officials, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said it had taken “a series of decisive measures” to ensure a peaceful and smooth conduct of the elections, as Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu put the finishing touches on the polls in preparation for midday on Thursday .

While voting in the remaining six phases will continue till June 1 with around 970 million voters queuing up to exercise their franchise, the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on June 4.

Here are some facts about the first phase of voting as detailed by the ECI:

• Voting for the first phase of the 2024 general elections will be held on April 19 in 102 Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) in 21 states/Union Territories and 92 Assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim assembly elections . It has the largest number of parliamentary constituencies among all phases.
• Voting begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. (poll end times may vary by computer).
• There are more than 16.63 crore voters, including 8.4 million male voters; 8.23 ​​billion female and 11,371 third gender voters.
• 3.567 million first-time voters registered to exercise their right to vote. In addition, there are 3.51 billion young voters in the 20-29 age group.
• 41 helicopters, 84 special trains and nearly 100,000 vehicles have been deployed to transport polling stations and security personnel.
• More than 50% of polling stations will be webcast, and micro-observers will be deployed at all polling stations.
• In the days leading up to the vote, 361 observers had arrived in their constituencies. They serve as ECI’s eyes and ears, maintaining a high level of vigilance.
• A total of 4,627 flying squads, 5,208 statistical monitoring teams, 2,028 video monitoring teams, and 1,255 video viewing teams were dispatched to strictly and quickly deal with any form of voter inducement.
• A total of 1,374 interstate checkpoints and 162 international border checkpoints maintain strict vigilance against the illegal movement of liquor, drugs, cash and freebies. Strict alert is maintained on sea and air routes.
• There are over 14.14 lakh registered voters above the age of 85 years and 13.89 lakh Persons with Disability (PwD) in 102 constituencies, who can choose to cast their votes from the comfort of their homes. The optional home voting facility has been met with great appreciation and response.
• Those voters above 85 years and persons with disabilities who decide to come to the polling stations will be provided with all facilities like pick up and drop, signage, Braille signage on EVMs, volunteers. Voters with disabilities can also book wheelchair facilities through ECI’s Saksham app.
• Minimal facilities such as water, sheds, toilets, ramps, volunteers, wheelchairs and electricity are ensured to ensure that every voter, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities, can cast their vote easily.
• Model polling stations are being built on 102 PCs with local themes. More than 5,000 polling stations will be managed entirely by women, and security staff at more than 1,000 of them will be managed by people with disabilities.
• Apart from the Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC), the ECI also provides 12 alternative documents for identity verification at polling stations. If a voter is registered on the electoral roll, he or she can vote by presenting any of these documents.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)