MUMBAI: As India prepares for the 2019 General Elections, which will decide the fate of the 17th Lok Sabha, Instagram has introduced a sticker to represent voting for people across the country to share their excitement around voting on the platform.

Available through the seven phases from 11th April to 19th May 2019, users across India will be able to use this sticker on their Instagram stories, sharing their experiences and excitement with friends and family.

Speaking about the new feature, Tara Bedi, Public Policy and Community Outreach Manager, Instagram, India said, “Across the globe, Instagram connects people with the people and things they love and are passionate about. With a community of over 1 billion users, Instagram is now also a space for positive dialogue around important civic matters and discussions around citizenship. The sticker is an easy and expressive way for our community to share that they voted with their communities.”

Instagram worked with artist, Tara Anand, known for the strong representation of women in her illustrations, to design this custom sticker for Indian elections. Tara Anand commented on her process, “As a young woman who believes in speaking my mind and expressing my beliefs, I’m glad to have gotten this chance to partner with Instagram to encourage people to take part in this democratic process. I wanted to play with the iconic index finger with ink because it is the universal symbol for voting in India. It is a symbol that one is part of a large and important process. I hope the sticker is a fun addition to this process for many other first time voters and everyone else as well."

The sticker can be used by opening the camera, taking a proud selfie, tapping the sticker icon and selecting the sticker from the tray. Additionally, once a user taps and clicks on the sticker, they will be directed to the National Voters Services Portal (electoralsearch.in/) which will help voters find their respective polling locations during the different phases of elections.