A parliamentary election in India is an epic event and takes a lot to put together. India and its people have made it happen 18 times in all since 1951. It takes more than a million polling stations, more than 5 million EVMs, 15 million polling officials, security personnel, and many more to put the show on the road. There are over 8,000 candidates in the fray, each with their own team of volunteers and supporters. To add to all of this is a whole army of people who provide goods and services of various kinds. These are the Foot Soldiers of Democracy.

This is the story of the author's journey following the seven-phase election as it rolled around the country in the summer of 2024, documenting the roles and lives of these men and women, and a tribute to their contributions.