India’s grand celebration of democracy, the 18th Lok Sabha Elections, will come to an end on June 1. As the 44-day-long electoral process concludes, exit polls will begin, forecasting the expected victors and the magnitude of their success. Vote counting for all 543 Lok Sabha seats is set to occur on June 4.
The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 were conducted over seven phases. The first phase occurred on April 19, followed by the second phase on April 26, the third phase on May 7, the fourth phase on May 13, the fifth phase on May 20, the sixth phase on May 26, and the final phase is scheduled for June 1.
Exit polls, conducted immediately after the conclusion of the final voting phase, act as a prelude, offering insights into potential winners and anticipated outcomes before the official declarations. According to regulations stipulated by the Election Commission, exit polls can be disseminated only 30 minutes after the closure of polling for the elections.
The electoral body has barred polling agencies and media organizations from publishing any exit polls until the conclusion of the voting process.
Exit polls, conducted by survey agencies, seek to assess public opinions and sentiments by gathering feedback from voters after each phase of polling. This data is then analyzed to make projections about the potential election outcome. Exit polls function as a guidepost, indicating the trajectory of the country and which political parties are expected to hold the majority.
As India’s second longest Lok Sabha Elections draw to a close on June 1 at 6:00 pm, exit polls are set to begin by 6:30 pm.