Thiruvananthapuram: All arrangements are in place for the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar said on Tuesday, with 883 candidates contesting for the mandate of 2.71 crore voters.

Addressing a press conference, Kelkar said 30,495 polling stations have been set up across the state, including 24 auxiliary booths created after the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll. These additional booths are located in Kasaragod, Kannur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.

Among the polling stations, 352 will be managed entirely by women, while 37 will be operated by persons with disabilities. A total of 140 distribution and collection centres have been established, with counting to be conducted at 140 strongrooms across 43 locations.

For poll management, 1.46 lakh trained officials have been deployed, along with 76,000 police and central forces personnel to ensure security. As part of preventive measures, around 2,000 individuals have been detained, 11,000 non-bailable warrants executed, and 3,400 social media posts flagged for poll violations have been removed.

Kelkar said special arrangements have been made at polling stations to create a more voter-friendly, festive atmosphere. The Election Commission has also introduced 30 new initiatives, including facilities to deposit mobile phones at polling booths.

Progress on advance voting remains high, with 98 per cent of home voting completed, along with 95 per cent participation from emergency service personnel and 50 per cent from polling staff.

The silence period came into effect at 6 pm on Tuesday, during which all forms of campaign activity, including press interactions and media outreach, are prohibited. Exit poll restrictions will be in force from 9 am on April 9 until 6.30 pm on April 29. The period from Tuesday 6 pm to Thursday 6 pm has also been declared a dry day.

In view of the hot weather, arrangements such as fans and drinking water will be provided at polling stations, following advisories from the State Disaster Management Authority. Webcasting and videography will also be carried out to ensure transparency.