Indelible mark – India votes

Published April 7, 2014
An elderly Indian woman displays her indelible ink mark on her finger after casting her vote outside a polling station during the first phase of elections in Dibrugarh, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
An elderly Indian woman displays her indelible ink mark on her finger after casting her vote outside a polling station during the first phase of elections in Dibrugarh, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
Indian voters wait in line to vote outside a polling station at Dekhijuli, some 180 kms from Guwahati, the capital city of India’s northeastern state of Assam, on April 7, 2014, during national elections. — Photo by AFP.
Indian voters wait in line to vote outside a polling station at Dekhijuli, some 180 kms from Guwahati, the capital city of India’s northeastern state of Assam, on April 7, 2014, during national elections. — Photo by AFP.
An elderly Indian woman watches as she stands in a queue to cast her vote during the first phase of elections in Dibrugarh, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
An elderly Indian woman watches as she stands in a queue to cast her vote during the first phase of elections in Dibrugarh, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
An Indian man puts his thumb impression before casting his vote during the first phase of elections in Agartala, in the northeastern state of Tripura, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
An Indian man puts his thumb impression before casting his vote during the first phase of elections in Agartala, in the northeastern state of Tripura, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
An Indian election applies an indelible ink mark on the finger of a Mishing tribal woman voter during the first phase of elections at Misamora Sapori, an island in the River Brahmaputra in the northeastern Assam state, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
An Indian election applies an indelible ink mark on the finger of a Mishing tribal woman voter during the first phase of elections at Misamora Sapori, an island in the River Brahmaputra in the northeastern Assam state, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
An Indian couple smile as they come out of a polling booth after casting their votes during the first phase of elections in Agartala, in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura, India, Monday, April 7, 2014.  — Photo by AP.
An Indian couple smile as they come out of a polling booth after casting their votes during the first phase of elections in Agartala, in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura, India, Monday, April 7, 2014. — Photo by AP.
Indian voters wait in line to vote outside a polling station at Dekhijuli, some 180 kms from Guwahati, the capital city of India’s northeastern state of Assam, on April 7, 2014, during national elections. — Photo by AP.
Indian voters wait in line to vote outside a polling station at Dekhijuli, some 180 kms from Guwahati, the capital city of India’s northeastern state of Assam, on April 7, 2014, during national elections. — Photo by AP.
An Indian woman casts her vote during the first phase of elections in Dibrugarh, in the northeastern state of Assam, An Indian man puts his thumb impression before casting his vote during the first phase of elections in Agartala, in the northeastern state of Tripura, India, Monday, April 7, 2014 India. — Photo by AP.
An Indian woman casts her vote during the first phase of elections in Dibrugarh, in the northeastern state of Assam, An Indian man puts his thumb impression before casting his vote during the first phase of elections in Agartala, in the northeastern state of Tripura, India, Monday, April 7, 2014 India. — Photo by AP.

India started the world's largest election Monday, sealing international borders along its remote northeast while voters made their way past lush rice paddies and over rickety bamboo bridges and pot-holed dirt roads to reach the polls. The country's 814 million eligible voters will vote in stages over the next five weeks. These are a selection of photos taken during the voting stages.

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