Strength: Maximum one-third of the State Assembly; Formal Notification: Issued by the President (for
minimum of 40 members. Lok Sabha) or Governor (for State Assembly),
Electoral College composition: Graduates: 1/12, starting the election process.
Teachers: 1/12, Local Body Members: ⅓, MLAs: ⅓, Filing of Nomination Paper: Must include candidate
& Nominations by the Governor: 1/6 details and signatures from two registered voters.
5. Bye-Elections Oath and Affirmation: Candidates take an oath
Purpose: Fill vacancies between regular elections. before authorised officers.
Conduct: Must occur within six months of vacancy, Security Deposit: Required; forfeited if less than 1/6
except in specific cases. of valid votes are received.
Participation: Allows political parties to test
Examination: Returning Officer checks nominations
electoral strength.
for compliance.
Components of Election Machinery in India Withdrawal: Candidates can withdraw within two
● Independent Election Commission days after scrutiny.
Constitutional Authority: Autonomous body Campaigning: Candidates promote themselves to
independent of government influence. voters; recognized parties can access state-owned media.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC): Appointed Model Code of Conduct
by the President; removal requires the same process Guidelines: Set by ECI to ensure fair conduct
as for a Supreme Court judge. by political parties during elections. Not legally
● Key Electoral Officers enforceable.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO): Nominated by the Effect: Begins upon election announcement and
Election Commission and supervises elections in a lasts until results are declared; violations can be
State/Union Territory (Representation of the People reported via the C-vigil app.
Act, 1950).
Voting System
District Election Officer (DEO): Manages
Electoral Roll: Official voter list, revised every
elections at the district level and reports to the CEO
(Representation of the People Act, 1950). five years.
Voting Rights of Prisoners: Convicted individuals
Returning Officer (RO): Conducts elections
in a parliamentary or assembly constituency and undertrial prisoners cannot vote; those under
(Representation of the People Act, 1951). preventive detention may use postal ballots.
Electoral Registration Officer (ERO): Prepares Polling Process
electoral rolls for constituencies. Timetable: ECI sets polling days.
Presiding Officer: Overseas polling at stations;
Polling Stations: Located in public venues; max
appointed by DEO or Returning Officer in Union 1,500 voters per station.
Territories.
Voting Method: Secret ballot via Electronic
Observers: Nominated by the Election Commission
Voting Machines (EVMs).
to monitor elections & includes General, Election
Counting of Votes: Conducted by the Returning
Expenditure, and Awareness Observers, with
statutory powers established by amendments in 1996. Officer and Observers; winner is the candidate
with the most votes.
ELECTORAL PROCESS IN INDIA
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE
Qualification for Contesting Polls
Citizenship: Must be an Indian citizen.
ACT, 1950
Age: Minimum 25 for Lok Sabha/State Assembly; The Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950, governs
30 for Rajya Sabha/State Council; 21 for the allocation of seats and delimitation of constituencies for
panchayat and municipality elections. elections to the House of the People and State Legislatures,
Additional Qualifications: As per the establishing voter qualifications and electoral rolls.
Representation of People Act, 1951. Key Provisions
Schedule of Elections: Lok Sabha and State Assembly ● Seat Allocation and Delimitation: Defines procedures
elections every five years, unless dissolved earlier. for allocating seats in Parliament and State Legislatures
Election Announcement: ECI announces election based on census figures and empowers the President to
schedule weeks prior, activating the Model Code of amend delimitation orders after consulting the Election
Conduct. Commission of India (ECI).
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