Polling in as many as 14 constituencies in Karnataka will take place on Thursday, April 18, as the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2019 gets underway. Other states where partial or full polling will take place tomorrow include Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam and West Bengal.
The 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka that go to the polls include those in the Bengaluru capital region as well. In Karnataka the Congress-JKD (S) alliance is locked in an intense battle against the BJP. Bengaluru is also witnessing a pitched battle between the two sides.
So, what should you know tomorrow as you head to the polling booths? Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan to exercise the democratic right:
List of documents accepted as identity/address proof
- Voters ID
- Indian passport
- Indian driving license
- Aadhar card
- Ration card
- Bank/Post office passbook
- Income Tax assessment order
- Water bill
- Phone bill
- Electricity bill
- Gas connection bill
- Rent agreement
(The list goes on)
No cell phones at the polling booth
The Election Commission (EC) has banned mobile phones within a 100-metre radius of the polling stations. Chief electoral officer (CEO) of Karnataka Sanjiv Kumar said that the voters will be asked to give their mobiles to the polling officials before entering the booth and after casting their vote, the phones will be given back.
However, many of the EC officers and public are critical of this move as they think that this plan might backfire on them and would impact voter turnout. The public has slammed EC over this decision.
Voter's helpline 1950
The Election Commission has set up a toll-free helpline number-1950 for the voters. The number provides necessary assistance to the voters (especially first-timers), regarding any information about the general elections. The enrolled electors can use this helpline to check details such as personal information and the assigned polling station. They can also find the contact details of booth level officers, electoral registration officers and district election officers.
A voter can search for the polling booth online at electoralsearch.in or use the Voter Helpline App, developed by the EC, so that the voters can find their polling booth easily.
Check your name in the Voters list
- To check your name in Bengaluru's voter's list, go to- https://www.ceokarnataka.kar.nic.in/
Availability of BMTC
Although nearly half the KSRTC fleet have been pulled for election duties and several BMTC buses also made a part of the elections, people in the capital city have nothing much to worry. Since there are a lot of holidays this week, very few commuters are expected to travel on the BMTC buses.
How internal migrants can vote
Many Indian citizens find it hard to cast their vote in their home constituencies due to time and money constraints. However, any person who has shifted their residence or is residing at a specific location can enrol their name in the particular constituency (where you have relocated) after providing a formal request to the Electoral Registration Officer.
Once your name is enrolled in the new voter's list, remove your name from the previous list. But the drawback here is that you will not be able to cast your vote for the local elections from your previous constituency.
No online votes for NRIs
Several fake news articles spread through social media claiming that NRIs can exercise their votes online through e-voting for the Lok Sabha elections. As inviting as it may sound, India does not support online voting and the NRI voters can only cast their vote after registering themselves as an overseas voter, for which they have to fill the Form 6A that can be downloaded online.
