Schedule: Lok Sabha Election 2019

The 2019 Lok Sabha election will be held in seven rounds from 11 April and the election results will be announced on May 23. Voting will be held across India on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. About 900 million voters would be eligible for the polls, about 15 million between the ages of 18 and 19 years. The term of the Lok Sabha ends on June 3. Elections will also be held in four states - Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha - along with the parliamentary polls.

More than 10 lakh polling stations would be set up across the country. Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) will be used in all polling stations. 1.1 million electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in Lok Sabha Election 2019.

More than 8,000 contestants will fight for 543 seats. Two seats are reserved.

The Model Code of Conduct spelling out dos and don'ts for elections came into effect after the election 2019 schedule was announced by the Election Commission of India.

The number of eligible voters has gone up by more than five times since the first general election. Voter turnout has also increased from 46 per cent in 1951-52 to 66 per cent in 2014. In the last election held in 2014, there were roughly 815 million, but just 550 million exercised their right to vote.

The election will see over 1.5 crore first-time voters. These voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years form 1.66 per cent of the total electorate. Two-thirds of Indians are under 35.