Voting-rights profile
India
Asia · in
Federal parliamentary republic. The 543 elected members of the Lok Sabha are chosen from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting; the Election Commission of India administers national and state elections.
Profile last reviewed July 26, 2026
India runs the world's largest national election across multiple polling phases. Electors register in the constituency where they are ordinarily resident, voting is normally in person, and most polling uses standalone electronic voting machines paired with a voter-verifiable paper audit trail.
How voting works today
- Voting age
- 18 and over
- Voter registration
- Voter-initiated
- Identification
- Any identity document
- Compulsory voting
- No
- Postal voting
- Restricted
- Early voting
- Restricted
- Online voting
- Not available
- Voting from abroad
- Not available
Eligible citizens apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. Ordinary electors vote in person with an Elector Photo Identity Card or another document accepted by the Election Commission; postal and home-voting arrangements are limited to defined categories. Overseas electors must ordinarily return to their assigned polling station to vote.
How the franchise changed
Every entry records a change in who could vote, or how — expansions, restrictions and procedural reforms alike.
- 1950Expansion
The Constitution established elections to the national and state legislatures on the basis of adult suffrage.
Constitution of India, Article 326 - 1989Expansion
The Sixty-first Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
The Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1988
Safeguards on the count
- Ballot type
- Electronic with paper trail
- Post-election audit
- Ad hoc
- Election administration
- Independent commission
- Domestic observers
- Yes
Standalone EVMs are paired with VVPAT printers. The Election Commission describes pre-election checks in the presence of party representatives and mandatory verification of sampled VVPAT slips, while courts and election authorities can order additional scrutiny.
Worth knowing
- The 2024 Lok Sabha election covered 543 elected seats and 979,751,847 registered electors; the Election Commission's atlas reports turnout of about 65.8%.Atlas 2024: General Election to Lok Sabha
Elections in the database
Elections
1Influence Operations
1People
- Head of governmentNarendra ModiPrime Minister of India
- LegislatorRahul GandhiMember of the Lok Sabha and Leader of the Opposition
Sources
- Atlas 2024: General Election to Lok Sabha— Election Commission of India
- How to register to vote— Election Commission of India
- EVM and VVPAT— Election Commission of India