The Kerala State Election Commission (SEC) has decided to cap the number of voters per polling station for the upcoming 2025 local body elections.
According to the new guidelines, each polling station in civic bodies will have a maximum of 1,500 voters, while panchayat booths will be limited to 1,200 voters. The SEC stated that the decision was made following requests from various political parties in July this year, who had sought measures to improve voter convenience and streamline the polling process.
In urban local bodies such as municipalities and corporations, each voter will be required to cast only one vote. However, in rural areas, voting will take longer since each voter must cast three separate votes — one each for the grama panchayat, block panchayat, and district panchayat.
Election officials said the reduced voter cap per booth will help minimise long queues, speed up polling, and enhance accessibility, particularly in densely populated wards and rural regions with multiple-tier elections.
The SEC is also expected to make additional arrangements such as temporary booths and extended polling hours in high-turnout constituencies to ensure that all voters can exercise their franchise comfortably.
Officials noted that delimitation and booth reorganization are already underway across districts to implement the new limits ahead of the elections, expected to take place in late 2025.
With the new cap in place, Kerala aims to make the 2025 local body elections more efficient, voter-friendly, and transparent, reinforcing its reputation for high voter participation and robust grassroots democracy.
