On the polling day, carry your voter identity card to the polling booth. Also, take an umbrella and a bottle of water because it could be hot out there.

Don’t fret if you don’t have one. There are options. Carry any one of the following:

Passport

Driving licence

PAN card

Aadhaar card

National Population Register (NPR) enrolment slip

Identity cards issued by state/central government, public sector undertakings, local bodies or public limited companies

Passbooks with photograph issued by public sector banks/post offices

Pension documents with photograph

Health insurance cards with photograph (issued by ministry of labour)

Job cards issued under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

EPIC enrolment slip issued by the election commission

Don’t carry to booth

Firearms (even with a licence) or any other weapon

Any object that can be used as a weapon, such as a golf club

Flag or any party symbol

More than Rs 20,000

Cellphone mode

Off or silent

They can’t be used within 100m radius of a booth

Weather

The Met office has forecast dry and sunny weather in Patna on April 17, the D-Day. Temperature is likely to be around 38°C

Car call

Can I travel by my vehicle to the polling booth? If yes, do I need to carry original documents of the vehicle?

Yes, but the vehicle has to be parked 200 metres away from the polling booth. Carrying original documents of the vehicle is preferable

Booth basics

What to do once inside the booth?

Identify yourself and produce your identity proof

You will be asked to sign the voting register. An official will put the indelible ink on your index finger and hand over a slip containing your serial number

Give the slip to the presiding officer, who will verify your particulars. The presiding officer will then ask you to proceed to the EVM, kept in a corner with three sides covered

Inside the booth, I feel confused about the proceedings and have questions to ask. Can I come out for clarifications and re-enter?

It’s best not to leave the booth once you are in, as re-entering is normally disallowed. If you face any problem or get confused, approach the presiding officer at the booth. He/she is trained to handle such situations

Can you go to vote with your friends?

Unnecessary assembly of people is banned within 100m of a booth. So, a cop might quiz you if you are hanging around in a group of four or more

Can someone accompany a physically challenged voter to booth?

A visually impaired person can use help to cast a vote on his/her behalf

Those with other handicaps and the aged can be accompanied till the booth but not into the EVM chamber

How to cast vote

The electronic voting machine (EVM) displays the names of all the candidates for the seat with their party symbols

Next to each name and symbol there is a blue button and a red light. You have to press the blue button against the name and symbol of your choice

The red light will glow and the machine will beep, indicating a valid vote

The glow and beep are a must for the vote to be recorded

Tell the presiding officer and press the button again if the light doesn’t glow or if you don’t hear the beep

Can I cast a “no vote”?

Yes, the Election Commission has introduced Nota (none of the above) option to allow voters to exercise their franchise even if they don’t like a candidate

Will a vote be cancelled if someone presses the button twice by mistake?

Only the first recorded vote counts

The presiding officer has a ballot button that activates the EVM before each voter enters the counter

Would I be able to verify whether I have voted for chosen candidate?

Yes. Election Commission has for the first time introduced the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) in eight parliamentary constituencies of the country, including Patna Sahib. VVPAT is a small display unit, which will be attached to the EVM and for seven seconds it would display the symbol and name of the candidate one has voted for. It would also generate a slip, which can be viewed through a glass window on the display unit but it would be retained in the VVPAT machine itself, not given to voters.

Transport

Public transport will not be available during polling hours and a few will ply after 6pm

Going out fine

It is okay to move around in the city when polling is on, but make sure you carry an identity card and do expect the police to question you

Dial in trouble

Election Commission: 1950

Patna police: 100 and cellphone numbers of all police officers

Hangout spots

Patna zoo, P&M Mall and Eco Park would remain closed