Kerala is gearing up for another major democratic exercise as the State Election Commission officially announced the local body election dates. The polls will be held in two phases — on December 9 and 11 — while votes will be counted on December 13 (Saturday), State Election Commissioner A. Shajahan announced on Monday. With the declaration, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect across all local bodies.
In the first phase on December 9, polling will be held in seven southern districts — from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam. The second phase on December 11 will cover the seven northern districts, stretching from Thrissur to Kasaragod.
Elections will be conducted in 1,199 local bodies (excluding Mattannur Municipality, whose term is not yet over), comprising:
- 941 grama panchayats (17,337 wards)
- 152 block panchayats (2,267 wards)
- 14 district panchayats (346 wards)
- 86 municipalities (3,205 wards)
- 6 municipal corporations (421 wards)
In total, voters will elect representatives across 23,576 wards, each treated as a separate constituency.
Kerala’s voter strength stands at an impressive 2.84 crore (28,430,761) — including 1.34 crore men, 1.50 crore women, and 281 transgender voters. Additionally, 2,841 overseas voters are also on the rolls.
Polling will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a mock poll at 6 a.m. to ensure transparency. Voters can present any approved identification document, including EPIC (Voter ID), Aadhaar, PAN, driving license, or bank passbook.
To facilitate maximum participation, polling days will be public holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, and private companies are required to allow employees time to cast their votes. Moreover, liquor outlets will remain closed on polling days.
With political fronts already in high gear, Kerala’s grassroots election season is officially underway — setting the stage for a heated local body contest that could shape the state’s political landscape ahead of the next Assembly elections.
