Indian elections are noisy festivals of democracy. The country will soon experience a month long celebration, from 7 April to 12 May, when elections to the 16th Lok Sabha will be held. The Election Commission announced these dates on Wednesday and highlighted the elaborate preparations it has set in motion to conduct polling. India is once again preparing to vote at a time when political unrest has brought countries as diverse as Thailand and Venezuela to a standstill. Ukraine and Egypt are shrouded in a thick fog of political uncertainty. Russia has slipped into authoritarianism while China is far away from democracy. There is good reason to be proud of the stunning success of the Indian democratic project despite problems such as mass poverty and a complicated mix of caste, regional and religious identities. India has held so many general elections now that the statistics are boring. But they signify an achievement that makes India stand out in the world. For example, the number of voters—815 million—in the coming election will be 2.5 times those in the world’s most powerful democracy—the US—and close to six times those in the largest authoritarian state. The task of running such an election with minimal glitches is impressive in itself. Democracy has been an excellent outlet for political aspirations in recent decades. Politics has traditionally been more about such political aspirations rather than economic aspirations. The coming election will be a test of whether economic aspirations will—as many suspect—now become more important in voting decisions.