Google Doodle marks the start of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 with voting symbol

The Google Doodle on Lok Sabha Elections features a raised index finger with an indelible mark

Google has released a Doodle to mark the commencement of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections today. Millions of Indians have begun voting today as the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 kicks off across four states on April 19. They will take part in the polls to decide whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return for a third term. If PM Modi wins, he will be only the second Indian leader to retain power for a third term, after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister.

To mark the commencement of the 18th Lok Sabha Elections, Google replaced the instantly-recognisable “Google” logo on its homepage with one which shows an uplifted index finger marked with indelible ink – a symbol that has evolved to represent the democratic process of Indian elections.

This Google Doodle will be visible across India as the country steps out to vote in Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha Polls. Phase 1 will see voting taking place on 102 Parliamentary Constituencies spread across 21 states and Union Territories, along with 92 Assembly Constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, marking it as the largest phase among all. Over the next 44 days, 969 million registered voters will exercise their democratic franchise to decide the trajectory of the world’s largest democracy for the next five years.

What is a Google Doodle?

A Google Doodle is a temporary alteration of the Google logo on the search engine's homepage. A Doodle generally appears on a specific holiday or festival, or it commemorates the contributions of a person of their birth of death anniversary.

Today’s Google Doodle is visible to people across India who use Google.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases. Voters will elect 543 members of the lower house by casting their vote in polls that will run between April 19 and June 1. The results will be announced on June 4, 2024.