Vote For Bharat #VoteKar #Vote4Nation

Voting is our time & opportunity to choose!

Make use of the chance; why to lose?

11 April to 19 May - 7 Phases, 7 dates.

543 Constituencies; voters of 29 states.

Politicians, poll campaigns & multiple views,

Make the informed choice; not by fake news.

Misinformation, spoofs & parodies galore,

Offers- cash, drugs, gifts, biryani, petrol & liquor...

Don't be swayed by the lure of such gifts/notes.

Our country deserves our conscious votes.

Vote is not for sale; be responsible for right selection.

Let's commit & pledge ourselves for a fair election.

Voting day is a holiday in which we must participate,

Our absence/laziness/picnic will write a different fate.

Greater participation for a democracy that's vibrant,

Accepting the voter verdict minus drama/rant.

Vote as the voting signal is now strong & green!

"Get Ready To Vote in the Lok Sabha Election 2019".

Note- Every vote counts; votes are precious...
Let's vote with our friends without any fuss.
Voting is every citizen's duty towards our nation-

Take neighbours & relatives- extend invitation!

Include all; "No Voter To Be Left Behind".

Let's Vote for Bharat by applying our mind.

"Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote."

- George Jean Nathan

It is time for India's good citizens to vote and elect good officials. Lok Sabha Election 2019 is being touted as- "Desh Ka Maha Tyohaar" i.e. Country's big festival.

Festival time means holiday, fun and enjoyment. But, can the voter afford to laze around, go for a picnic or sleep the whole day? Certainly not, as this pertains to our nation and our democracy. The holiday is for us to make sure that we use our chance to vote in the elections. Just like we enjoy festivals with our family and friends, makes sense to ensure their participation with us in our country's big festival.

Play a #ResponsibleCitizen ‘s part-
Vote🗳 smart 🙏🏻
No time for picnic/fuss.
Each vote is precious 🙏🏻
Let’s participate in the democratic celebration. #VoteForIndia Vote for our nation🙏🏻https://t.co/kwE2VpFUli #VoteKar #IndiaElections2019 #VotingRound1 #VoteBecauseYouCan pic.twitter.com/z9t9dPrtdM
— Dr. Anita Sabat (@anitaexplorer) April 11, 2019

The Election Commission of India has been publishing information in the newspapers related to the voting process to ensure that everyone is ready to vote in the Lok Sabha Election.

Did you know that there is a Voter Helpline Android App to help voters for the process?

Voters can-

1. Enroll themselves as Voters

2. Verify their names in Electoral Roll

3. Track Application Status

4. Register Complaint

5. Make correction in their EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card)

This is an excellent initiative indeed.

Source: Election Commission of India

How many of us have actually visited the National Voters' Service Portal?
Or called the telephone helpline number 1950 to check whether our name is in the Electoral Roll?

Source: Election Commission of India

Did you know that a voter can check her/his details in the Electoral Roll simply by sending an SMS in the given format to 1950?

Source: National Voters' Service Portal

As per the National Voters' Service Portal:

"Deletion and modificatiob shall not be processed after 20/3/2019.However, addition will continue till the last date of nomination."

In the 2014 elections, 280 million Indians did not cast their votes. Losing out on 280 million votes is no mean thing. Our nation loses when the population, who has moved or shifted cannot/does not vote as they have settled in another part of India. Presently, about 55% of government officials on duty can't or don't vote... These are alarming figures. The Times Of India (TOI) newspaper launched an initiative called "Lost Votes" to raise awareness about India's missing voters and to enable every eligible voter to vote.

This year, the General Elections in India are being held from 11 April 2019 to 19 May 2019 in 7 Phases. The date of counting for all the Phases is 23 May 2019. It will decide the 543 Constituencies.
The first 2 phases of the General Election 2019 are over and now the next phases are there.
This is an opportunity to exercise our franchise.

Why Vote?
1. Vote & Voter is an Agent of Change
2. Voting Shapes Future Decisions/Policies
3. Voting is a Moral Right
4. Voting is our Responsibility
5. Voting is an Opportunity
6. Vote & be an Inspiration

Every vote counts for the progress of our country.
From the past several days, I have been doing my bit to inform the residents of my locality to vote.

Some said that they do not have their Voter ID or Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC).
I informed them that in the absence of the EPIC, they can carry and use any ONE of the ELEVEN specified valid photo-identity documents, essential for casting vote.

The Election Commission of India has directed that all electors have to produce the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) for their identification at the polling station before casting their votes. Any eligible citizen can be allowed to vote provided she/he is carrying her/his Electors Photo Identity Card.

However, in case of unavailability/loss/misplacement of the EPIC i.e. Voter's Card, the citizen must produce any specified photo identity document, essential for establishing their identity and for casting vote.

Electors, who do not possess the EPIC, can vote after producing any one out of the following list of eleven alternative photo-identity documents:

Passport,
Driving License,
Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies,
Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office,
PAN Card,
Smart Card issued by Registrar General Of India (RGI) under National Population Register (NPR),
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MNREGA) Job Card,
Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour,
Pension document with photograph,
Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs, &
Aadhaar Card.

Overseas electors shall have to produce only their original passport for identification.

The name of the elector must find place in the electoral roll pertaining to the polling station where the elector has turned up for voting.

If it is not possible to establish the identity of the elector on account of mismatch of photograph, etc. in the EPIC, the elector shall have to produce one of the above mentioned alternative photo documents.

Some other people expressed their inability to vote as they had not received their Photo Voter Slip (PVS) as yet.
I informed that it does not matter and they can still vote as the PVS are no longer valid as stand alone identification document for voting.

Please Note-

Previously, the Election Commission had allowed Photo Voter Slip as a document for identification. However, it is no longer a stand-alone identification document on the grounds of misuse; the design of PVS does not incorporate any security feature. Photo Voter Slip had been started as an alternative document for better coverage.

However, now with more than 99% electors possessing EPIC, and more than 99% adults having been issued Aadhar Cards, the Election Commission has now decided that PVS shall not be accepted as a stand-alone identification document for voting.

However, PVS continues to be prepared and issued to electors to build awareness.

In order to make it clear to the electors that PVS shall not be accepted as a stand-alone identification document for voting, the words "THIS SLIP WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF IDENTIFICATION IN POLLING STATION. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CARRY EPIC OR ONE OF THE 11 ALTERNATIVE DOCUMENTS SPECIFIED BY THE COMMISSION FOR VOTING” shall be printed on the Photo Voter Slip in bold letters.

The Election Commission of India has done a commendable job by posting relevant information for voters in several languages and thus increasing the reach.
The following one is in Odia that's my mother-tongue and sixth classical language of India.

Inside the polling booth, we can find-
1. Three polling officers, each assigned with different tasks
2. The presiding officer of the booth
3. Ballot units covered behind folds

Process-
1. The left-most polling officer will verify our identity - any of the valid photo-id proof as mentioned above.
2. After our verification, the next officer will mark our finger with indelible ink.
3. Seeing our marked finger, the final officer will take our signature or thumb impression to strike off our name from the electoral roll.
4. We then proceed to the balloting unit that consists of an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) to cast our vote and check the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine to confirm our vote.
5. To vote, we need to select our choice from the list of the political parties on the device and press the blue button on the Ballot Unit of EVM.
6. When the button is pressed, an LED on the EVM glows red and the VVPAT machine generates a printed paper slip showing the vote we have cast.
7. After verifying our vote, we can be assured that our vote has gone to our chosen candidate/political party.
8. Note- We may have successfully voted, but we need to get more voters to the polling booth and make them go through the same process via steps 1-7 listed above.

It has always been my endeavour to raise awareness and encourage all eligible citizens to exercise their vote during the elections.
This was my post for the 2014 Elections - Vote for India With Social Media Apps.

Request you to please share this post with your family and friends.

Please wear Odisha Handloom when you go to vote. Do share your post-vote Selfie.

#VotingRound2 🗳 is today. Requesting everyone to wear #OdishaHandloom & go for voting taking friends & neighbours to d polling booth🙏🏻
Then, post Selfie🤳🙏🏻
Pics look great when we are dressed in Ikat👍🏻
Voting 🗳 is everyone’s responsibility🙏🏻#Vote4Nation #VoteKar #Vote4Bharat pic.twitter.com/6PSuqsT7lV
— Dr. Anita Sabat (@anitaexplorer) April 18, 2019

Phase-3 of the Lok Sabha Election is on 23rd April 2019.
We at Bhubaneswar, District-Khurdha, Odisha, India, are voting on 23rd April.
When will you be voting? Do share in the comments below.