Kerala local body election 2025: Voting and counting dates, 2020 results and key details

The Local Body Elections will be held in Kerala in two phases on December 9 and 11. The vote count has been scheduled for December 13. The Model Code of Conduct ahead of the elections came into force on November 10. Polls will be conducted in 1,199 of the 1,200 local bodies, with Mattannur Municipality excluded as its council’s term continues until 2027.

Key dates

• Polling dates:
• December 9, 2025 (Tuesday): Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam 
• December 11, 2025 (Thursday): Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Kasaragod
  (Polling time: 7.00 am to 6.00 pm)
• Counting of votes: December 13, 2025 (Saturday) from 8.00 am
• Last date for completion of election process: December 18, 2025 (Thursday)

Poll details and ward breakdown

• The 2025 local body elections will cover 23,612 wards across 1,199 local bodies, including:
• 17,337 wards in 941 grama panchayats
• 2,267 wards in 152 block panchayats
• 346 wards in 14 district panchayats
• 3,205 wards in 86 municipalities
• 421 wards in 6 corporations

Voter list and polling stations

• The final voter list, published on October 25, includes 2,84,30,761 voters — 1,34,12,470 men, 1,50,18,010 women, and 281 transgender persons.
• A separate list for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) voters includes 2,841 voters (2,484 men and 357 women). 
• Across Kerala, there will be 33,746 polling stations — 28,127 for panchayat wards, 3,604 for municipalities, and 2,015 for corporations.

Counting and results

• A mock poll will be conducted at each polling station at 6.00 am on polling day.
• Counting will begin at 8.00 am on December 13 at the designated centres. Postal votes will be counted first, followed by EVM votes. Results and progress updates will be available in real time via the TREND software.
• Once the results are declared, newly elected members and councillors will take their oath of office, followed by elections for chairperson, vice-chairperson, and standing committees as per the dates notified by the commission.

Voting technology and EVM details

• Electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the polls have been supplied by Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad. A total of 50,693 control units and 1,37,922 ballot units have been prepared and tested under ECIL’s supervision.
• The State Election Commission will deploy several digital tools for election management: Electoral Roll Management System for voter data, e-Drop app to track officials on duty, TREND software for real-time counting updates, Poll Manager for monitoring by district and returning officers, Nomination Management System for candidate data, EVM Tracking System for monitoring voting machines

Kerala Local Body Election Results 2020
In the 2020 Kerala local body elections, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) achieved a decisive victory, winning control of a majority of local bodies across the state.

• Turnout: 76.2% (down 1.5% from 2015)
  
• LDF: 40.2% vote share (up 2.8%) — won 514 grama panchayats, 108 block panchayats, 11 district panchayats, 35 municipalities, and 5 corporations.
  
• UDF: 37.9% vote share (down 0.7%) — secured 321 grama panchayats, 38 block panchayats, 1 district panchayat, 23 municipalities, and 1 corporation.
  
• NDA: 15% vote share (up 1.7%) — won 19 grama panchayats and had limited presence elsewhere.
  
• Results by alliance: Overall, the LDF retained its stronghold, while the UDF suffered minor losses and the NDA made modest gains but remained a distant third.