How are elections conducted in India

Dear student,

In India , two types of election take place: 

i)General 

ii)By election 

In General election, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections are elected regularly after every five years. After five years the term of all the elected representatives comes to an end. They stand ‘dissolved’. Elections are held in all constituencies at the same time, either on the same day or within a few days. 

In a By-Election, election is held only for one constitutency to fill the vacancy caused by death or resignation of a member. 

The steps in which general elections take place are as follows: 

a. Announcement of dates and  Delimitation of constituencies:

 The election commission makes announcement of dates of elections and divides the country in case of Lok Sabha elections and state in case of Assembly elections into various constituencies.

b. Compilation of voters list: A list in each constituency is prepared and published for all those who are eligible for voting.
c Filing of nomination papers:
A date is specified for various candidates who wish to contest in elections to file their nomination power..

d Scrutiny of nomination papers and withdrawal of nomination papers- All nomination papers filed are scrutinised . Also if nay candidate who wishes to withdraw from contesting elections can do so upto a specific date.

e. Election campaign: Political parties and candidates are involved in extensive campaigning to muster support. There are both direct and indirect ways of campaigning. While campaigning political parties have to adhere to model code of conduct which comes into force once election dates are announced. The election campaign stops 48 hours before the elections.

f. Pooling day-. On the Election Day, adult citizens whose name appears on the voters’ list go to a nearby ‘polling booth’, and cast their vote .Polling booths are generally located at a nearby local school.An agent of each candidate is allowed to sit inside the polling booth to ensure that the voting takes place in a fair way. There are ample security arrangements  made at the polling booths to prevent the outbreak of violence, to ensure that no malpractice takes place at the booth and  that voting takes place in a peaceful manner.No campaigning or canvassing is permitted on the election day.

g. Counting of votes and declaration of result:

After the voting is over, the ballot- boxes then taken to the counting centers.  Votes are counted and the  candidate who gets the highest number of votes is declared elected by the returning officer

h.  Election petition:
Election petition is basically the procedure for challenging the result of the Parliamentary or Assembly elections.It can be filed either by the voter of the concerned constituency or by the candidate in the High Court of the State within 45 days from the declaration of result .

Regards.