BMC polls tomorrow: What every Mumbai voter must know before stepping out to vote

The city goes to the polls tomorrow to elect a new Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and while the voting process will be familiar to most citizens, polling day still calls for basic preparations on the part of voters. Knowing the correct polling station, carrying valid identification, and understanding the sequence of voting inside the booth can help ensure that the process is quick and trouble-free.

With polling spread across thousands of booths and nearly 1 crore voters expected to cast their ballot through the day, here are a few things you need to be aware of before stepping out of home to record your vote: Thursday’s election is being held to fill 227 seats for corporators in the BMC. Around 1,700 candidates are contesting across the city’s wards, including 879 women and 821 men. The electorate comprises over 1 crore voters. You can find the names of the candidates who are contesting these elections here.

Hundreds of polling booths have been set up across the city for the voting process. You can check your nearest polling booth here.

Voters should prepare in advance by checking their ward number and polling station address. Also, carry one valid photo identity document and keep your voter’s slip, if available, to speed up verification. The voter’s slip is not mandatory, but it helps polling staff locate names on the electoral roll faster and reduces waiting time.

A voter may produce any one of the following photo identity documents: Voter identity card Passport Aadhaar card Driving licence PAN card Photo ID issued by the central or state government, PSU or local body Bank or post office passbook with photograph Disability certificate with photograph MNREGA job card Pension-related documents with photograph Official identity cards issued by Parliament or State Legislature Secretariats Freedom fighter photo ID

• Health insurance card issued by the Union Labour Ministry

  Voters without a valid photo ID will not be allowed to vote, even if their name appears on the electoral roll.

  Mumbai follows a single-member ward system, which means that each ward elects one corporator and each voter casts only one vote. Voters in Mumbai will have a different voting experience from those of the other 28 municipal corporations that are heading to polls in Maharashtra, which will follow a three or four-member ward system, marking a departure from the traditional one-ward-one-corporator model.

  Verification: The voter’s name is checked against the electoral roll, indelible ink is applied on the finger, and a voter slip is issued.

  Inside the polling booth: Each booth has a control unit, operated by the polling staff and a ballot unit displaying candidates’ names and symbols. The voter presses the blue button next to the candidate of their choice only once. A beep sound is heard, and a VVPAT slip is produced to confirm that the vote has been recorded. Voters should wait for this confirmation before exiting the booth.

  Step 1: Voter verification

As in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the voter’s name is verified against the electoral roll, indelible ink is applied, and a voter slip is issued.

Step 2: Inside the polling booth Inside the booth, the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) consists of a control unit, operated by polling officials and multiple ballot units displaying candidates’ names and symbols. More than one ballot unit is required because of the large number of candidates contesting in four-member wards.

Step 3: Casting multiple votes Once the EVM is activated, the voter presses the button next to one candidate on the first ballot unit. After confirmation, the machine prompts the voter to cast the second, third, and if necessary the fourth vote, in sequence. Each vote is recorded separately and confirmed through a beep and a VVPAT slip. Failure to vote thrice in a three-member ward (or four times in a four-member ward) means that the machine will not beep nor dispense the VVPAT slip.

Voters may vote for all three or four candidates from the same party or split their votes across parties or independents. They can also choose NOTA (None Of The Above) for one or more votes.

Step 4: Completion of voting The voting process is completed only after all three or four votes are cast. The EVM does not finalise the vote midway. Once the last vote is recorded, the voter exits the booth.

The following are not permitted inside the polling compartment. Mobile phones, cameras or electronic devices, and party symbols, badges, scarves or campaign material. Polling staff may stop voters from entering until the prohibited items are removed.

Based on previous BMC elections, actual voting takes two to three minutes per voter. However, longer queues are expected in the early morning and evening. Mid-afternoon hours usually see shorter waiting times

Senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant women are given priority access wherever facilities are available.

Voters should approach the presiding officer at the polling station if their name is missing from the electoral roll, if there is confusion about the voting process, or if an EVM or VVPAT issue is noticed. Each polling station maintains a complaint register, and unresolved issues can be escalated to sector officers.