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New Delhi, The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Election Commission" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Election Commission">Election Commission</keyword> on Friday said it has identified 266 <keyword id="20809469" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliamentary-constituencies" source="keywords">parliamentary constituencies</keyword>, including 215 in rural areas, with <keyword id="21207154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="low-voter-turnout" source="keywords">low voter turnout</keyword> and is planning <keyword id="21207534" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="targeted-intervention" source="keywords">targeted intervention</keyword> to enhance <keyword id="19973117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voting-percentage" source="keywords">voting percentage</keyword> in the upcoming <keyword id="19912155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-polls" source="keywords">Lok Sabha polls</keyword>. Municipal commissioners from major cities and select district election officers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh discussed enhancing voter engagement and participation in identified urban and rural Lok Sabha seats. At its conference on low <keyword id="20108198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-turnout" source="keywords">voter turnout</keyword> here, the EC said 266 parliamentary constituencies -- 215 rural and 51 urban -- with low voter turnout have been identified. Eleven states and Union territories - Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand - had a voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the participants, <keyword id="19998985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chief-Election-Commissioner" source="keywords">Chief Election Commissioner</keyword> Rajiv Kumar stressed that 'one size fits all' approach will not work and different strategies have to be worked out for different areas and segments. Polling for the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls begins on April 19. Kumar emphasised on a three-pronged strategy of providing facilitation at polling stations, such as queue management, sheltered parking in congested areas; targeted outreach and communication; and involvement of critical stakeholders including RWAs, local icons and youth influencers to persuade people to come to polling stations on voting day. He told officials to prepare a booth-wise action plan for enhanced participation and behaviour change. He asked the participants to prepare different strategies for urban and rural areas and plan interventions accordingly for different target audiences. Discussions were centred on critical issues such as optimising queue management at polling stations and facilitating voting in high-rise buildings. Urban specific hurdles to increased voter turnout were identified and targeted city-specific interventions were planned. The officers were encouraged to develop tailored, region-specific outreach programs that resonate with the unique needs and demographics of their constituencies. The Commission recalled that nearly 29.7 crore eligible voters did not vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections "underscoring the scale of the problem which calls for proactive measures". In the last Lok Sabha elections, of the 50 seats with the lowest voter turnout, 17 were in metropolitans or major cities. It said recent elections across various states have highlighted trends of urban apathy towards the electoral process, warranting targeted interventions and collaborative endeavours.

EC identifies 266 Lok Sabha seats with low voter turnout, mostly in rural areas

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The crypto industry has spent tens of millions on pro-crypto candidates this election cycle.</li><li>Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have both made crypto a part of their campaign.</li></ul>With the US presidential election just two weeks away, the world is about to find out just how influential the <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/cryptocurrency">cryptocurrency</a> industry really is.Crypto companies, executives, and super PACs have spent huge sums this election cycle, outspending even perennial big spenders like the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/koch-brothers-fortune-power-conservative-crusade-american-politics-2019-8">Koch family</a>, according to Federal Election Commission filings.The crypto industry has <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/crypto-bitcoin-election-spending-kamala-harris-donald-trump-2024-8">outspent every other industry</a>, injecting almost $120 million into federal races as of August, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign spending. Fairshake, the leading pro-crypto super PAC, raised over $204 million for the 2024 election cycle.While Faireshake has donated in favor of candidates on both sides of the aisle, it only spent against Democrats. According to OpenSecrets, Fairshake spent over $13 million in total against three Democrats — Sen. Katie Porter, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and Rep. Cori Bush — who each lost their primaries.Perhaps nowhere has the industry's spending been more acute than in Ohio, where the once-favored Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is now in a tight race against Republican Bernie Moreno, a blockchain entrepreneur. Crypto supporters have zeroed in on the race, spending tens of millions to support Moreno.Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have both made overtures to the crypto community during their campaigns, but just how far the industry's influence can stretch won't be clear until after Election Day.Industry leaders told Business Insider that many in the crypto world hope a crypto-friendly Congress or president can influence how the government regulates digital currencies or, at the very least, encourage the Securities and Exchange Commission to provide clear rules on how it wants crypto companies to protect consumers.JP Richardson, the CEO at Exodus Crypto Wallet, told BI that he donated the maximum contribution that he could — $844,000 — to Trump's campaign.Trump, who once <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-called-crypto-scam-now-owns-million-ethereum-disclosure-bitcoin-2024-8">called crypto a scam</a>, has more recently fueled hope that he'd be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bitcoin-price-soars-crypto-president-donald-trumps-election-betting-odds-2024-10">good for crypto entrepreneurs</a>. On the campaign trail, he has promised to make America<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-going-for-crypto-bro-vote-world-liberty-financial-2024-9"> "the crypto capital of the planet."</a>The rhetoric is paying off for him. A pro-Trump political action committee has raised at least<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-pac-raised-millions-crypto-donations-since-june-2024-10"> $7.5 million in crypto donations</a> since June, and as Trump's<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bitcoin-price-soars-crypto-president-donald-trumps-election-betting-odds-2024-10"> betting market odds climb</a> ahead of the election, there's been a corresponding surge in bitcoin's value.Trump <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-bitcoin-stance-2024-7">visited the Bitcoin 2024</a> crypto conference in Nashville in July, where he pledged to fire SEC Commissioner Gary Gensler and keep all of the federal government's bitcoin in a "strategic national bitcoin stockpile" if elected.The audience gave Trump a standing ovation at the mention of firing Gensler, Richardson said, "because the industry wants that clear regulatory guidance from the SEC.""I personally have supported Trump, and I would have been happy to extend that same support to Harris if she had come out with a bold stance in supporting the industry in the same way that Trump did, but she has not done that," Richardson said.Harris has been <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-tech-issues-ai-big-tech-crypto-silicon-valley-2024-7">less vocal</a> about her position on crypto, but she has started to show <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-donald-trump-crypto-bitcoin-donors-young-men-2024-9">quiet support</a> for the industry on the campaign trail in recent months. In September, she addressed crypto at a Wall Street fundraiser, where she said her administration would "encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting our consumers and investors."Barry DiRaimondo, cofounder and CEO of <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://therealdeal.com/sanfrancisco/2024/05/28/steelwave-debuts-500m-real-estate-fund-with-digital-tokens/">real estate crypto fund</a> SteelWave Digital, said he thinks a Trump victory is still the best outcome for crypto because he "is advocating for getting crypto regulated so it can become a mainstream financial product.""If you're long in bitcoin and Trump wins, you're going to be a happy camper," DiRaimondo said.Still, he said he didn't donate to any political groups because "if we're playing in the political landscape, we're playing both sides of the fence.""Politically, as a company, we're very neutral," he said.Richardson said Exodus also donated $1.3 million to Stand With Crypto, an advocacy organization that focuses on voter registration and informing people about political candidates who support crypto."We see the importance of getting pro-crypto candidates elected, and this, by the way, should be very bipartisan," Richardson said. "So Stand With Crypto will educate people on these candidates.""We want to help with that education, and so the $1.3 million is targeted to helping in these swing states," Richardson added.For Richardson, the "turning point" in his decision to get involved in politics came on May 9 when his company planned to uplist on the New York Stock Exchange. Before the opening bell, the SEC postponed the listing to review the company's registration statement, the company said."Before this moment, I didn't really care about politics, and now I feel like I was forced and backed into a corner to really care about politics more than I ever have," Richardson said.

The crypto industry has spent millions this election. Here's what it hopes to get in return.

The <keyword id="26362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government" source="Orion">government</keyword> on Thursday introduced in the <keyword id="48510" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="Orion">Rajya Sabha</keyword> a contentious bill that seeks to replace the <keyword id="45053" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-justice-of-india" source="Orion">Chief Justice of India</keyword> with a cabinet minister in the panel for selection of the <keyword id="50926" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-election-commissioner" source="Orion">chief election commissioner</keyword> and election commissioners, amid an uproar by the <keyword id="6360456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="opposition" source="Orion">opposition</keyword>. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the <keyword id="50926" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-election-commissioner" source="Orion">Chief Election Commissioner</keyword> and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 in the Upper House in the post-lunch session. According to the bill, future chief election commissioners and election commissioners will be selected by a three-member panel headed by the prime minister and comprising the leader of <keyword id="6360456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="opposition" source="Orion">opposition</keyword> in the Lok Sabha and a cabinet minister. Opposition parties, including the Congress and the AAP, have raised strong objections to the bill and accused the <keyword id="26362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government" source="Orion">government</keyword> of diluting a Supreme Court Constitution bench order. The bill comes months after the Supreme Court in March ruled that the selection panel should comprise the prime minister, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and the <keyword id="45053" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-justice-of-india" source="Orion">Chief Justice of India</keyword> (CJI), till a law is framed by Parliament on the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (ECs). A vacancy will arise in the Election Commission early next year when Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey demits office on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years. His retirement will come just days before the likely announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha poll schedule by the commission. On the past two occasions, the commission had announced parliamentary polls in March. The apex court in its March verdict had aimed at insulating the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners from the Executive's interference. The bill seeks to regulate the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners. According to the bill, the CEC and ECs shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a selection committee consisting of the prime minister, who will be the chairperson; the leader of opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet minister to be nominated by the prime minister. It also states that the appointment of the CEC and ECs "shall not be invalid" merely by reason of any vacancy in or any defect in the constitution of the selection committee.

Bill seeking to replace CJI with cabinet minister in panel for selection of CEC, ECs tabled in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): The mammoth exercise to count votes polled for the Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections will begin at 8 am on Tuesday, with trends and results following shortly thereafter. Results of the <keyword id="6372146" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assembly-elections" source="Orion">Assembly elections</keyword> in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were held simultaneously with voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha. Results of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies will also be declared today. Here're the LIVE results: <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Infographic"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Strict security has been put in place for the smooth conduct of counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will seek a third consecutive term in government, while the Congress-led opposition aims to unseat them. Most <keyword id="43771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-polls" source="Orion">exit polls</keyword> have predicted a return of PM Modi to power, a development which will make him the first Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to secure a third successive term in power, Meanwhile, a delegation of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders met with the Election Commission of India urging it to ensure that postal ballots are counted and their results declared before the outcome of the EVMs is announced. Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said that a "very robust system" has been put in place. "There are around 10.5 lakh booths. Each booth will have 14 tables. There are observers and micro-observers. Nearly, 70-80 lakh people are involved in the process," he said. The national capital is all set to witness the battle. With tight security arrangements in place, Delhi is well-prepared to watch the results of the 2024 <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-Elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword>. Around 70 companies of the security forces will be deployed at all seven counting centres across the national capital as part of the elaborate security arrangements made by the Delhi Police for today. Delhi traffic police issued a fresh advisory ahead of the counting of votes scheduled for Tuesday, listing key roads where traffic restrictions and diversions will start from 5 am onwards to ensure smooth vehicular movement. Prime Minister Modi's hometown, Gujarat, is also preparing for the vote-counting day as security forces rehearse and perform drills for the effortless conduct of D-day. Exit polls have predicted the return of the BJP to power. Various exit polls have given the BJP more than 64 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised for a hat-trick win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority. Exit polls were predicted on Saturday and indicated that the ruling party at the Centre would improve its performance in several states ruled by other parties. A few exit polls predicted that the BJP-led NDA could reach the goal of "400 paar" stated by BJP leaders in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. The exit polls predicted that the ruling BJP-led NDA is poised to improve its performance over its 2019 record when it won 352 seats. Two polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's UPA got only 93 seats of which the Congress got 52. The Lok Sabha elections were conducted in seven phases- on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting trends and results, as per data entered by RO/ARO for AC/PC will be available on the ECI website as well as on the Voter Helpline App, both iOS and Android Mobile Apps, according to the ECI. The Voter Helpline App can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple Play Store. Users can use the available filter to find out the winning/leading or trailing candidate details, along with the constituency-wise or State-wise results from the Voter Helpline App. The local display of the trends and results by the CEOs/ROs/DEOs may also be done through the Digital Display Panels, it said.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 results: Mammoth vote-counting exercise set to begin at 8 am, amid high security

The <keyword id="20288056" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP-led-NDA" source="keywords">BJP-led NDA</keyword> on Tuesday surged ahead with leads in more than 200 <keyword id="21073505" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliamentary-seats" source="keywords">parliamentary seats</keyword> out of 350 for which trends were available, with opposition <keyword id="19895684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="INDIA-bloc" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="INDIA bloc" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="INDIA bloc">INDIA bloc</keyword> ahead in 120, according to television reports. India Today gave leads in 205 seats to the NDA, while the INDIA bloc was ahead in 129; ABP News gave 230 to the NDA and 120 to the opposition alliance; and NDTV showed NDA leading in 194 seats with INDIA bloc closing in on 135 seats. Counting of votes for the <keyword id="56978" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections" source="Orion">Lok Sabha elections</keyword> has begun across states and Union Territories, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told PTI. According to the Conduct of Election Rules, postal ballots were taken up for counting first and the process of counting of votes recorded in electronic voting machines (EVMs) began 30 minutes later. The process of counting votes cast through postal ballots and EVMs will continue simultaneously. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Infographic"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> While the Lok Sabha has 543 members, counting is being held for 542 seats after the BJP's Surat candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed. Counting of votes is also underway for the assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, where polling was held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. Elections to the assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim were also held alongside the Lok Sabha polls. The results of these elections were declared on June 2. Since 2019, VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) slips from five randomly selected polling stations per assembly constituency -- or segment in case of Lok Sabha seats -- are matched with the EVM count for greater transparency.

Lok Sabha elections results: INDIA bloc leads in 120 seats in early trends; BJP-led NDA crosses 200 mark

New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): <keyword id="9766785" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections-2024" source="Orion">Lok Sabha elections 2024</keyword> have seen a <keyword id="20108198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-turnout" source="keywords">voter turnout</keyword> at polling stations of about 66.95 per cent so far, as approximately 451 million people have voted during the first four phases of ongoing general elections. In a bid to encourage voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers, ECI has enhanced its targeted interventions to reach out to every eligible voter. The Commission led by CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, further directed CEOs of the states going to poll in the fifth, sixth and seventh phases to timely distribute voter information slips to all electors and enhance outreach activities. "Commission strongly believes that partnership and collaboration are essential pillars of the voter awareness programme. It's heartening to see that, at the Commission's request, different institutions, influencers and celebrities with significant reach are working enthusiastically on a pro-bono basis," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. Further, he added that a higher voter turnout would be a message from Indian voters to the world, about the strength of Indian Democracy. He urges all the voters to cast their vote in huge numbers, as voting day is not a holiday but a day of pride, by participating in the festival of democracy. According to an official release, various <keyword id="21686177" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-awareness-drives" source="keywords">voter awareness drives</keyword> and campaigns have been carried out by stakeholders in collaboration with ECI. Telecom Service Providers such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Bharti Airtel Limited, Jio Telecommunication, and Vodafone-Idea Limited are reaching out to every mobile user in the respective parliamentary constituency through push SMS/Flash SMSs, outbound dialling calls to mobile users, RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging and WhatsApp messages/alerts. These activities are carried out two/three days before the poll and even on the poll day, in regional languages, with an appeal to vote. ECI has collaborated with BCCI for voter awareness activities during the ongoing IPL season. The voter awareness messages and songs are being played at different stadiums during the cricket matches. The most innovative aspect of this campaign is the administration of voter's pledges by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in a pre-recorded video message, at various IPL venues. Further, voter awareness messages are integrated into cricket commentary. Cricketers from 10 IPL teams have encouraged voters to participate in the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections in 2024 with their recorded voter awareness messages. A voting day alert was sent to all Facebook users pan India to inform and inform the voters about the general elections and to nudge them to participate in the festival of democracy, the release mentioned. The release further stated that WhatsApp personalised messages have begun on polling day. Google India is contributing through its iconic feature of Google Doodle on poll days and banners appearing on YouTube, Google Pat and other Google platforms. The Retail Association of India has been actively engaging with voter awareness activities, through their retail network, whereby retail chains are encouraged to celebrate the election as a festival. The vast network of post offices and banking institutions was utilised by ECI to reach out to a wide and diverse audience across the length and breadth of the country. In collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the parliamentary elections campaign logo "Chunav ka Parv, Desh ka Garv" has been integrated with the IRCTC portal and tickets. Voter awareness announcements have been integrated with the public address system at all railway stations. The logo stickers are used on coaches of the superfast trains. In collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, hoardings on voter awareness have been installed in about 16,000 retail outlets. In collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, airlines are making an inflight announcement with an appeal message to participate in the ensuing elections. Voter guides are being kept in aircraft seat pockets. Apart from this, many airports are providing space for the display of voter awareness messages. Selfie points have been installed at airports in 10 major cities viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Patna, Chandigarh, and Pune. Cinema theatres across the country are playing ECI voter awareness films and ECI Song Main Bharat Hoon, Hum Bharat Ke Matdata Hai, at regular intervals, as a part of the Public Service Awareness (PSA) film. Sansad TV is creating short films on Unique Polling Stations set up in remote corners of the country by the election machinery after navigating difficult terrains to demonstrate the challenges in ensuring voting at the last mile. AMUL, Mother Dairy and other milk co-operatives have started branding their milk pouches with the message 'Chunav Ka Parv, Desh ka Garv' and encouraging voters through social media platforms. AMUL is also encouraging voters with its unique messaging through AMUL Girl Topical advertisements in newspapers. Prasar Bharati: Doordarshan has produced, various short films, including appeals from constitutional functionaries like President of India, Vice President of India, and Chief Justice of India, among others. Further, unique polling stations are being covered by the regional Kendra's audio-visual documentation. Music App Spotify is running a campaign called 'Play Your Part', and they have issued print advertisements, and curated the playlists for the elections, on their app. Payments app PhonePe has integrated voter awareness message into their app and is actively encouraging voters. BookMyShow has launched an integrated campaign, titled "Aaj Picture Nahi, Bigger Picture Dekho," to raise awareness among voters. MakeMyTrip is running a campaign titled 'MyVoteWalaTrip', whereby discounts are offered to citizens going to vote. Food delivery platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy are disseminating voter awareness messages through their platforms and social media activities. Grocery App Blinkit changed its logo to "Inkit" for the elections, incorporating a message encouraging people to "Go out and Vote" as a tagline. Uber India is reaching out to voters through multi-channel messaging (in-app, emails, push notifications), offering discounts for rides to polling stations, and amplifying voter awareness messages on social media platforms. Bike app Rapido has been encouraging voters with a free ride to vote. Urban Company has launched 'I Have Voted Campaign' to encourage voters. Tata Neu app, serving as the Tata Group's group-wide consumer-facing mobile app, prominently features the "Cast Your Vote" animated banner on its homepage, with additional initiatives currently underway. Truecaller is enhancing its layout by displaying voter awareness message during outbound calls Some other independent initiatives are Mankind Pharma #VotingVirgin campaign, clothing brand Neeru's "Vote ki Taiyaari" TVC, Tinder's "Every Single Vote Counts" campaign, creatively curated social media post by Matrimonial sites like Jeevansathi.com, etc and discounts for voting by popular brands such as Shoppers' Stop, MakeMyTrip, Chroma and many more. Four phases of Lok Sabha polls have been held and the voting will conclude on June 1 with results on June 4. The remaining phases will be held on May 20, May 25, and June 1.

451 million voters! First four phases of Lok Sabha elections witness 66.95% voter turnout so far

In the 2019 parliamentary polls, voters in Bihar's <keyword id="20327545" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gopalganj" source="keywords">Gopalganj</keyword> had created a record with 51,660 of them, or five per cent, opting for the <keyword id="20335981" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="NOTA" source="keywords">NOTA</keyword> option, which is placed as the last option on the electronic voting machine. As per the latest trends available on the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Election Commission" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Election Commission">Election Commission</keyword>'s website at 3.15 PM, over 4.62 lakh (0.99 per cent of the total voters opted for NOTA. Out of 61,31,33,300 votes polled in the 2019 polls, 65,14,558 (1.06 per cent) were polled for NOTA. Similarly in 2014 parliamentary elections, out of 55,38,02,946 votes polled, 60,02,942 (1.08 per cent) were polled for NOTA. The <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> had received a jolt in the <keyword id="19930878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indore" source="keywords">Indore</keyword> Lok Sabha seat after its candidate <keyword id="21466595" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="akshay-kanti-bam" source="keywords">Akshay Kanti Bam</keyword> withdrew his nomination on April 29, the last date for the withdrawal of nominations. Bam later joined the <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword>, prompting the Congress to appeal to the people to press the NOTA option on EVMs during polling in Indore on May 13. Former Chief Election Commissioner O P <keyword id="19965032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rawat" source="keywords">Rawat</keyword> had recently described NOTA as having a "symbolic" impact and had said if it gets more than 50 per cent votes in a seat, only then making it legally effective on poll results could be considered. Rawat had also told PTI that if 99 out of 100 votes go in favour of NOTA option and someone gets one vote, even then the canidate will emerge victorious. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Indore recorded 69 per cent turnout with 5,045 voters opting for NOTA. Rawat said, "In the present situation, NOTA has only symbolic significance and it cannot have an impact on the election result of any seat." "More than 50 per cent electors will have to once opt for NOTA in a seat to show the political community that they do not consider candidates with criminal background or other undeserving ones worthy of their votes. Only after this, pressure on Parliament and the Election Commission will increase and they will have to think about changing laws to make NOTA effective on the election results," he said.

With 2.18 lakh voters, NOTA creates record in Madhya Pradesh's Indore seat

Citing the Conduct of <keyword id="19895095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election" source="keywords">Election</keyword> Rules, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday said the <keyword id="21922459" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="count" source="keywords">count</keyword> of <keyword id="20105752" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="postal-ballots" source="keywords">postal ballots</keyword> will start first across all counting centres and asserted that there was "no doubt about it". Responding to questions at a press conference here, he said after half-an-hour of the start of the postal ballot count, the counting of votes recorded in the electronic voting machines will commence. A delegation of the opposition parties had on Sunday met the Commission to demand that postal ballot count should start first and the results of postal ballots should be announced first. "Rules clearly state (Rule 54A) that postal ballot count will start first. On all centres in the country it will start first, no doubt about it. After half-an-hour we start the <keyword id="20041623" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EVM" source="keywords">EVM</keyword> count. So, there are three countings which are happening simultaneously - it happened in the 2019 elections, it happened in all the assembly polls held thereafter. It happened yesterday also in case of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim assembly (vote count). We can't change anything mid course. Why can't we change, because it is compliant with the rules," he said. He said the postal ballot count and then the EVM count and finally the marching of VVPT slips with EVM results will continue. In majority of the booths, the number of postal ballot is less. It will automatically end first, he pointed out. Since 2019, VVPAT (paper-trail machine) slips from five randomly selected polling stations per assembly constituency (or segment in cases of <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> seats) are matched with the EVM count for greater transparency.

Count of postal ballots will commence first: CEC

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump's defense team is expected to call an ex-FEC commissioner as a witness in his hush-money trial.</li><li>Bradley Smith, a Republican election-law expert, is being paid $1,200 an hour. </li></ul>As <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-hush-money-trial-kicks-off-fiery-da-openings-2024-4">Donald Trump's criminal hush-money trial</a> nears the end, the former president's defense team plans to call at least one witness — an ex-commissioner of the Federal Election Commission who's getting a whopping $1,200 an hour.Bradley Smith — a Republican campaign-finance-law expert who has served on the FEC as commissioner, vice chairman and chairman between 2000 and 2005 — is expected to testify in Trump's historic Manhattan trial on Monday.Manhattan prosecutors fought hard to keep Smith off the stand. Smith has twice been barred by federal judges from testifying as a defense expert, prosecutors noted in February — including in a 2014 case where he'd hoped to tell a jury that an average person may not know that "straw man" donations are illegal.Trump retained Smith, known for his opposition to campaign finance regulations, to provide expert testimony, advise the defense, and "engage in commentary with media organizations covering the matter," according to court documents.Trump may not get his money's worth, though.New York Supreme Court Justice <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hush-money-judge-bench-slaps-trump-lawyers-first-trial-day-2024-4">Juan Merchan</a>, the judge presiding over the trial, dealt a blow to the defense on Monday when he greatly limited the scope of any testimony by Smith.As a result of Merchan's order, Smith, who was appointed to the FEC by former President Bill Clinton, is essentially only allowed to explain to Trump's hush-money jury what the FEC is, what it does, and what the standard definitions are for such terms as "campaign expenditure" and "campaign contribution."Smith told Business Insider Monday that Trump's team has not asked him to engage with the media on this case, despite it being among the services he was hired to do. "That's just a catch-all because sometimes attorneys want me to comment to press, and that takes time so it's part of the agreement," he said. "I have not been asked to do any media work whatsoever, in any form." Smith does not appear to be quoted in media coverage of Trump's hush-money case. <div type="image" title="Bradley Smith." height="672" width="1024" msid="110279525" hostid="261" sizebytes="37686"></div>In fighting to keep Smith from testifying for Trump, prosecutors noted in February that he had been barred from testifying for the defense in two unrelated federal cases in Manhattan.The judges in both cases found that the defense improperly wanted Smith to interpret campaign finance law to the jury.One of those cases was the fraud trial of fallen cryptocurrency mogul <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-bankman-fried-expert-witnesses-trial-ftx-2023-8?IR=C">Sam Bankman-Fried. </a>The other case where Smith was barred from testifying was United States v. Suarez.In that case, Smith would have testified that "people often misunderstand the campaign laws" and that "it is reasonable for individuals to believe that the law allows 'straw man' donations," prosecutors in Trump's case complained in court documents filed earlier this year.Trump — and his Save America PAC — were charged <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-ny-fraud-trial-defense-is-costing-millions-2023-12">well over $2 million on expert testimony</a> for last year's Manhattan civil fraud trial — including $1,350 an hour for New York University professor Eli Bartov, who testified he worked 650 hours and pocketed at least $877,500.Bartov "lost all credibility" on the stand, state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron wrote in December. "All that his testimony proves is that for a million or so dollars, some experts will say whatever you want them to say," Engoron wrote. Trump has been standing trial since mid-April on criminal charges related to a $130,000 hush-money payment made to porn star <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stormy-daniels-takes-stand-donald-trump-hush-money-trial-2024-5">Stormy Daniels</a>.The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has charged the former president with<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-indicted-new-york-stormy-daniels-hush-money-payment-2023-3"> 34 felony counts of falsifying business records</a>.Prosecutors allege Trump illegally falsified invoices, checks, and other records throughout 2017, to disguise a year's worth of monthly reimbursement checks to his then attorney,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/michael-cohen"> Michael Cohen.</a>Once Trump's "fixer," Cohen had made the initial outlay of a $130,0000 hush-money payment that silenced Daniels just 11 days before the 2016 election. Daniels had threatened to go public with a story of a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in 2006 when his son with Melania Trump was only four months old.Trump has denied having sex with Daniels.Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor, but the charge becomes a felony — punishable by up to four years in prison — if the records were falsified with the intent to commit or hide some other underlying crime.Prosecutors have argued Trump orchestrated the payment to Daniels <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-case-relies-never-used-election-conspiracy-law-2024-4">as part of a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election</a> in violation of state and federal election laws.In putting Smith on the stand, Trump's defense team hopes to challenge the prosecution's argument that the hush-money payment breached those laws.

Trump's election-law witness Bradley Smith is getting $1,200 an hour to testify — and spin reporters

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In 2022, Insider reported that FEC Commissioner Trey Trainor was billed as a member of the "Trump Elections Team" at a local GOP event.</li><li> Following the report, the FEC Office of the Inspector General opened up an investigation.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/Investigative-Summary-I22INV00033.pdf">Federal Election Commission's Office of the Inspector General</a> found on Monday that Commissioner Trey Trainor did not commit any ethics violations after he participated in an "election integrity" event where he was labeled as a member of the "Trump Elections Team."In 2022, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-election-integrity-trey-trainor-federal-election-commission-fec-2022-6">Insider reported</a> that Trainor, who was previously appointed to the commission by President Donald Trump, was billed as a member of Trump's team in a Facebook post by the Denton County Republican Party.Following the report, the FEC's Office of the Inspector General began an investigation into Trainor's perceived ethical impropriety. They that while it may appear he acted improperly, his billing was written without his knowledge, undermining "any appearance of impropriety."While Trainor did speak to Insider in 2022 for comment, the FEC Office of the Inspector General's report notes that he and his counsel refused to cooperate with the government's investigation, leading to "uncertainty" regarding the investigation's final findings."Neither Commissioner Trainor nor his counsel responded to numerous attempts over the course of several months by the OIG to schedule an interview," the report said. "His lack of participation impeded the OIG's efforts to gather relevant evidence and resulted in uncertainty concerning the conclusions in this investigation."The report from the FEC Office of the Inspector General notes that Trainor's lack of cooperation with the investigation ran counter to guidance from former FEC Chair and current Commissioner Allen Dickerson, who sent an email to all FEC staff in March 2022 to remind employees they "have a duty to cooperate with OIG."Because of his and his attorney's failure to cooperate, the FEC Office of the Inspector General ultimately said it "was unable to conclude with certainty whether Commissioner Trainor complied with the relevant ethical standards concerning participation in matters involving the Trump 2016 campaign and related entities due to his lack of participation in this investigation."The FEC Office of the Inspector General closed the investigation with "no recommendations for the Commission or FEC management," though it did refer potential Hatch Act violations and "allegations of improper partisan political activity to the Office of Special Counsel."

FEC Commissioner Trey Trainor cleared of ethics violation after Insider reporting spurred investigation

New Delhi, The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> on Monday roped in banks and post offices to spread voter awareness as part of its efforts to increase voting percentage in the upcoming <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls. The poll panel has often expressed concern over urban and youth apathy with many registered voters not turning up at the polling stations to cast ballot in the previous elections. Over 30 crore of the 91 crore electors did not cast their ballot in the previous parliamentary polls. The Election Commission (EC) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two prominent organisations -- the Indian Banks' Association (<keyword id="19941316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iba" source="keywords">IBA</keyword>) and the Department of Posts (<keyword id="20733048" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dop" source="keywords">DoP</keyword>) -- to amplify its voter outreach and awareness efforts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The initiative, the poll panel said, is in continuation of its efforts to enhance electoral awareness in the country. The EC had recently signed an MoU with the Ministry of Education to formally integrate electoral literacy into the educational curriculum of the schools and colleges. The latest initiative has been taken based on insights and knowledge gained by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) <keyword id="20110344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajiv-kumar" source="keywords">Rajiv Kumar</keyword> from his past roles and experience working in the financial sector, particularly in the Indian banking sector and India Post Payments Banks, the officials pointed out. As part of the MoU, the IBA and the DoP with its members and affiliated institutions will extend support in promoting voter education through their extensive network on a pro bono without charge basis, employing various interventions to empower the citizens with knowledge about their electoral rights, processes and steps for registration and voting. The members and affiliated institutions will now display voter education messages prominently on their websites, directing visitors to learn more about the electoral process. Voter education content will be disseminated through various promotional channels such as social media and customer outreach platforms of member institutions, ensuring widespread awareness among stakeholders and the public, the EC said. Voter education messages will also be displayed in the form of posters, flex and hoardings at office premises at major locations, reaching the customers at key touchpoints. All member institutions under the IBA and the DoP will establish 'voter awareness fora' to engage the employees and customers in discussions and initiatives related to voter education. The Department of Posts will affix a special cancellation stamp (bearing voter education messages) on the postal articles. "Despite successfully managing and conducting elections by the Election Commission over the years in a fair and peaceful way along with a significant increase in participation of the electors, there is also a concern that around 30 crore electors, out of 91 crore, did not cast their votes in general election to Lok Sabha 2019. The voting percentage was 67.4 per cent, which the Commission has taken as a challenge to improve upon," the EC said. The Indian Banks' Association now has a strong network of 247 members across the country. Public sector banks are in lead with 90,000+ branches and 1.36 lakh ATMs followed by 42,000+ branches of private sector banks with 79,000+ ATMs. Regional rural banks contribute over 22,400 branches, while small finance and payment banks operate around 7,000 branches and more than 3,000 ATMs. Foreign banks maintain 840 branches and 1,158 ATMs, and local area banks have 81 branches. "The cumulative number of the branches are over 1.63 lakh with more than 2.19 lakh ATMs across the country," the poll authority pointed out.

EC ropes in banks, post offices to spread voter awareness ahead of LS polls

New Delhi, Ahead of <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls, the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> on Monday asked political parties not to use children in campaigning "in any form whatsoever", including for distribution of posters and pamphlets or sloganeering. In an advisory sent to parties, the poll panel conveyed its "zero tolerance" towards use of children in any manner during the electoral process by parties and candidates. Political leaders and candidates should not use children for campaign activities in any manner including holding a child in their arms, carrying a child in a vehicle or in rallies, the poll watchdog said. "This prohibition extends to the use of children to create the semblance of a political campaign in any manner including use through <keyword id="20292657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="poem" source="keywords">poem</keyword>, <keyword id="19968741" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="songs" source="keywords">songs</keyword>, spoken words, display of insignia of political party or candidate...," EC said in a statement. However, the mere presence of a child accompanied by their parent or guardian in proximity of a political leader who is not involved in any election campaigning activity by the political party, will not be construed as a violation of the guidelines, it noted. Chief Election Commissioner <keyword id="20110344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajiv-kumar" source="keywords">Rajiv Kumar</keyword> has consistently emphasised the pivotal role of political parties as the EC's key stakeholders, urging them to become active partners in upholding democratic values, especially in view of forthcoming parliamentary polls.

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Count of postal ballots will commence first: CEC

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EC ropes in banks, post offices to spread voter awareness ahead of LS polls

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Do not use children in poll campaigning: EC to political parties

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