Kerala Assembly elections: 30,471 polling booths to be set up; EVMs to display candidates’ photos

Kochi: Chief Election Commissioner of India Gyanesh Kumar briefed about the arrangements to be made in Kerala for the upcoming Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference, he said there would be 30,471 polling stations across the state, including around 5,000 new ones, and 100 per cent webcasting would be ensured. No polling station will have more than 1,200 electors, he added.

Women will entirely manage 397 polling stations, and over 790 model polling stations will be established, the CEC pointed out.

For the first time in Kerala, electronic voting machines (EVMs) will display candidate photographs to help voters easily identify their choice. Voter information slips will also be distributed.

Talking about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Gyanesh Kumar said that pure electoral rolls are the bedrock of democracy, and the SIR of electoral rolls was conducted with the clear objective of ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded.

Recalling his association with the state, Kumar said Kerala had been his workplace for 18 years, and that he had served as the Ernakulam Collector around 22 years ago.

He also highlighted Kerala’s pioneering contributions to election management, including the establishment of the first code of conduct in 1960, which later evolved into the Model Code of Conduct, and the pilot use of electronic voting machines in the Paravoor Assembly constituency in 1982.

He added that the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections would be a global model and expressed hope that voters would actively participate in the “festival of democracy.”

Kerala has 140 Assembly constituencies — 124 general seats, 14 reserved for Scheduled Castes, and two for Scheduled Tribes. The present Assembly’s term ends on May 23, 2026.

Improved facilities for senior citizens
More than two lakh senior citizens aged above 85 years, including 1,571 centenarians, will be eligible to vote from home. He also noted that over 49 lakh young voters aged between 18 and 29 are on the electoral rolls.

The Election Commission will ensure improved facilities for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, including ground-floor polling stations, ramps, wheelchairs, and priority voting.

Minimum facilities such as drinking water and help desks will also be available at all polling stations, he said. Mobile phones can be carried up to the entrance of polling stations, and deposit facilities will be arranged, he added

ECI Net app to provide updates
Kumar said the Election Commission’s ECI Net mobile software integrates more than 40 applications and will provide real-time election data for stakeholders. All polling stations will have 100 per cent webcasting to ensure transparency.

He said election updates will be provided every two hours, and the ECI Net mobile application will also be available for voters in Kerala. Postal ballots will be counted two rounds before the EVM votes to avoid pressure on returning officers, he added.

He said that elections in Kerala would be conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the Election Commission of India’s directions. There will be strict enforcement of the law during the election period, and enforcement agencies have been directed to curb inducements such as cash, liquor, and narcotics, he added.

He also urged political parties and the public to make use of the CVIGIL mobile application to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct, assuring that action would be taken immediately.