When Indians start heading to the polls on Friday, it will be just the beginning of a colossal democratic process.
Not until June 4, after six weeks of voting, will India know whether its powerful prime minister, Narendra Modi, will remain in office for a third term.
The short answer: India is the world’s most populous nation, with 969 million eligible voters.
That’s more than one-tenth of the world’s population, or about four times the number of eligible voters in the next largest democracy, the United States.
But, generally, they have taken weeks or months, even without primary elections, because of their sheer scale.
Persons:
Narendra Modi
Locations:
India, United States