Google Doodle in India focuses on Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi: Google on Thursday marked the beginning of the general elections in India with a doodle that featured an inked finger, which when clicked led users to a page explaining the voting procedure.

This doodle’s reach was only for India where the world’s largest democratic exercise kicked off earlier in the day.

The interactive doodle page contained information to help the first-time voters in the country.

People with their names in the voter list (also known as Electoral Roll) could only cast their vote, it said. Voters could also find information on polling booths, contesting candidates, election dates and timings, identity cards and Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).

Voting for the 543 Lok Sabha seats would be held in seven phases: April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. Counting would take place on May 23.

Ninety-one Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 18 states and two Union Territories were voting in the first-phase on Thursday.

Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Telangana are voting in a single phase.

Voting is underway in parts of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The doodle explained the voting process at a polling booth and also gave several details:

*First polling official will check your name on the voter list and check your ID proof

*Second polling official will ink your finger, give you a slip and take your signature on a register (Form 17A)

*You will have to deposit the slip at the third polling official and show your inked finger and then proceed to the polling booth

*Record your vote by pressing the ballot button opposite the symbol of the candidate of your choice on the EVM; You will hear a beep sound

*Check the slip that appears in the transparent window of the VVPAT machine. The slip with the Candidate serial No., Name and Symbol shall be visible for 7 seconds before it drops in the sealed VVPAT box

*You can press NOTA, None of the Above, if you don’t like any candidate; it’s the last button on the EVM.