Google Doodle marks Lok Sabha Elections 2024 with index finger voting symbol

Google is marking the start of the Lok Sabha elections in India by using a new doodle. The doodle shows the traditional mark of  ink on the index finger. Clicking the Google Doodle will take the user to the Google Search result oof 2024 General Elections.

The first phase of India's 2024 Lok Sabha elections is currently underway, with significant participation across multiple regions.

Here’s are some facts about the first phase of Lok Sabha elections:

States Involved: Voting is taking place in 21 states and Union Territories.Seats and Territories: A total of 102 parliamentary seats are up for grabs in this phase.Complete Polling: By the end of Friday, eleven states and Union Territories will have completed their polling. This includes all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, all five in Uttarakhand, 12 in Rajasthan, five in Maharashtra, and all seats in six Northeastern states plus three Union Territories. State Assemblies: Concurrently, state assembly elections are happening in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Reserved Seats: Of the 102 seats, 18 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 11 for Scheduled Tribes.

Back in March Google announced that it will support voters of India by disseminating essential information related to the Lok Sabha elections. Google also aims to combat misinformation. The search giant announced various ways in which it plans to help during elections. Key efforts include:

• Collaborating with the Election Commission of India to integrate critical voting information into Google Search and YouTube.
• Utilizing AI and human reviewers to enforce policies against misleading content on its platforms.
• Requiring identity verification for election ad publishers and providing transparency about election ad funding and expenditures.
• Supporting news organizations and fact-checkers with resources to combat misinformation and detect deepfakes.
• Implementing labels on AI-generated content to help users identify and understand such content on YouTube and other platforms.