IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: India

Republic of India

1,389,637,446
Population (as of Feb. 16, 2023)

969,700,000
Registered Voters (as of None)

60.02%
Average Turnout

21
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.398
Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Autocracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: July 30, 1980
Ratified Date: July 9, 1993

SIGI* Score: 43.0
Level of Discrimination: High
*Social Institutions and Gender Index (2023)

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: March 30, 2007
Ratified Date: Oct. 1, 2007

HDI* Score: 0.685
Category: Medium
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Indian People's Assembly	Lok Sabha / लोक सभा	Lower House
Indian Council of States	Rajya Sabha / राज्य सभा	Upper House
Indian Presidency	None	Head of State

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Droupadi MURMU (since 25 July 2022)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014)
Assembly: India has a bicameral Parliament (Sansad) consisting of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) with 245 seats and the People's Assembly (Lok Sabha) with 545 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college* to serve a 5-year term. There is no term limit.
The Prime Minister is elected by the majority party of the People's Assembly.
In the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), 233 members are indirectly elected by the state and territorial legislatures to serve 6-year terms and 12 members are appointed by the president to serve 6-year terms**. In the People's Assembly (Lok Sabha), 543 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies and 2 are appointed by the president to serve 5-year terms ***.

* The electoral college consists of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states. Each legislator's vote is weighted based on the population of their state, and the single transferrable vote method is used.

** The Rajya Sabha may include up to 238 members representing the 28 states of India and 3/8 Union Territories (Delhi, Puducherry, & Jammu and Kashmir) and an additional 12 members appointed by the president.

*** The Lok Sabha may include up to 530 members representing the 28 states of India and 20 members representing the 8 Union Territories. Until 2020, two representatives were appointed by the president to represent the Anglo-Indian community, but these seats were eliminated via the 104th constitutional amendment.

Elections

2024-04-19 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes -
Registered 969,700,000
Turnout -

2019-04-11 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes -
Registered -
Turnout -

2014-04-07 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 553,801,801
Registered 834,101,479
Turnout 66.4

2009-05-13 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 417,158,432
Registered 716,985,101
Turnout 58.18

2009-05-07 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 417,159,281
Registered 716,985,101
Turnout 58.18

2009-04-30 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 417,159,281
Registered 716,985,101
Turnout 58.18

2009-04-23 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 417,159,281
Registered 716,958,101
Turnout 58.18

2009-04-16 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 417,158,432
Registered 716,985,101
Turnout 58.18

2004-05-10 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 387,779,784
Registered 671,524,934
Turnout 57.75

2004-05-05 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 387,779,784
Registered 671,524,934
Turnout 57.75

2004-04-26 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 387,779,784
Registered 671,524,934
Turnout 57.75

2004-04-20 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 387,779,784
Registered 671,524,934
Turnout 57.75

1999-10-03 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 371,669,104
Registered 619,536,847
Turnout 59.99

1999-09-25 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 371,669,104
Registered 605,445,809
Turnout 61.39

1999-09-18 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 371,669,104
Registered 605,445,809
Turnout 61.39

1999-09-11 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 371,669,104
Registered 605,445,809
Turnout 61.39

1999-09-05 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 371,669,104
Registered 619,536,847
Turnout 59.99

1998-03-07 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 375,441,739
Registered 605,880,192
Turnout 61.97

1998-02-27 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 375,441,739
Registered 605,880,192
Turnout 61.97

1998-02-22 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 375,441,739
Registered 605,880,192
Turnout 61.97

1998-02-16 | Status: Held
Indian People's Assembly
Votes 375,441,739
Registered 605,880,192
Turnout 61.97

Election For	Date	Status	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Indian People's Assembly	2024-04-19	Held	-	969,700,000	-
Indian People's Assembly	2019-04-11	Held	-	-	-
Indian People's Assembly	2014-04-07	Held	553,801,801	834,101,479	66.4
Indian People's Assembly	2009-05-13	Held	417,158,432	716,985,101	58.18
Indian People's Assembly	2009-05-07	Held	417,159,281	716,985,101	58.18
Indian People's Assembly	2009-04-30	Held	417,159,281	716,985,101	58.18
Indian People's Assembly	2009-04-23	Held	417,159,281	716,958,101	58.18
Indian People's Assembly	2009-04-16	Held	417,158,432	716,985,101	58.18
Indian People's Assembly	2004-05-10	Held	387,779,784	671,524,934	57.75
Indian People's Assembly	2004-05-05	Held	387,779,784	671,524,934	57.75
Indian People's Assembly	2004-04-26	Held	387,779,784	671,524,934	57.75
Indian People's Assembly	2004-04-20	Held	387,779,784	671,524,934	57.75
Indian People's Assembly	1999-10-03	Held	371,669,104	619,536,847	59.99
Indian People's Assembly	1999-09-25	Held	371,669,104	605,445,809	61.39
Indian People's Assembly	1999-09-18	Held	371,669,104	605,445,809	61.39
Indian People's Assembly	1999-09-11	Held	371,669,104	605,445,809	61.39
Indian People's Assembly	1999-09-05	Held	371,669,104	619,536,847	59.99
Indian People's Assembly	1998-03-07	Held	375,441,739	605,880,192	61.97
Indian People's Assembly	1998-02-27	Held	375,441,739	605,880,192	61.97
Indian People's Assembly	1998-02-22	Held	375,441,739	605,880,192	61.97
Indian People's Assembly	1998-02-16	Held	375,441,739	605,880,192	61.97

Voter Turnout

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