Kerala local body polls on Dec 9 and 11; counting on Dec 13

Kerala will vote in a two-phase local self-government (LSG) election on December 9 and 11, with Phase I covering the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Idukki and Ernakulam, and Phase II covering the remaining districts—Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod. Counting will be held on December 13.

The State Election Commission has completed all preparations for the massive electoral exercise that will span 23,576 wards across rural and urban local bodies, covering 1,200 institutions, including gram panchayats, block panchayats, district panchayats, municipalities and corporations.

Tenure ends on December 20

The tenure of the current local bodies ends on December 20, making the elections essential to ensure continuity in governance at the grassroots level. All institutions except Mattannur Municipality in Kannur—whose term ends in September 2027—will go to polls this time.

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According to the Commission, Kerala has 2,84,30,761 registered voters, including 1,34,12,470 men, 1,50,18,010 women and 281 transgender voters. An additional 2,841 voters are listed in the special roll prepared for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). The final electoral rolls were published on October 25 after multiple revision cycles undertaken across 2023, 2024 and twice in 2025.

A total of 33,746 polling stations will be set up across the state to facilitate voting. Of these, 28,127 booths will cater to voters in panchayat areas, while 3,604 stations will be arranged for municipalities and 2,015 for corporations. Each voter in rural regions will cast three votes—one each for the gram, block and district panchayats—while urban voters will cast one vote for their municipal or corporation ward.

Security network

The Commission has also mobilised an extensive administrative and security network for smooth conduct of the elections. More than 1,80,000 polling personnel will be deployed alongside 70,000 police officials to maintain law and order, especially in sensitive booths where videography or webcasting will be arranged.

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Statewide, 244 counting and distribution/reception centres have been designated. These centres will manage polling material dispatch, receive them back after voting, and serve as counting venues on December 13. Counting will begin at 8 am, starting with postal ballots, followed by votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Real-time updates will be available through the TREND software.

The Commission has readied 50,693 control units and 1,37,922 ballot units supplied by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL). Candidate setting on the verified machines will be completed a week before voting. In case more than 15 candidates contest in a ward, additional ballot units will be installed.

Model code in place

Strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct is underway across all local bodies. Guidelines prohibit invoking caste, community or religion for campaigning, misusing official positions, or announcing new schemes during the election period. Media organisations have also been instructed to ensure responsible reporting and not publish content that could influence voters within 48 hours before polling.

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Candidate expenditure limits have been fixed at Rs 25,000 for gram panchayat contests, Rs 75,000 for block panchayat and municipality contests, and Rs 1,50,000 for district panchayat and corporation candidates. Exceeding the permitted limit or failing to submit accounts within 30 days of results will lead to disqualification for five years.

With all logistical systems, digital platforms and official teams in place, the Election Commission has appealed to voters to participate in large numbers and exercise their democratic rights responsibly.