Assembly Elections 2026: Voting in Kerala on April 9, results on May 4; Know full schedule.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Assembly elections in Kerala have been announced. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar declared the Kerala Assembly elections on Sunday. The election in Kerala will be held in a single phase—specifically on April 9. Meanwhile, the election results will be declared on May 4. According to the Election Commission, a total of 2.71 crore voters, spread across Kerala's 140 Assembly constituencies, are ready to cast their votes on April 9.

What is the Full Schedule?

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the election schedule on Sunday. The Election Commission released the election calendar during a press conference held in New Delhi. It provided comprehensive details regarding the dates for filing nominations, scrutiny of papers, withdrawal of candidacies, voting, and the counting of votes. With the announcement of the schedule, the Model Code of Conduct came into immediate effect across the entire state.

According to the office of Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U. Kelkar, the elections will be conducted based on the final voter list prepared and released on February 20—a list compiled following a special intensive revision process. In this regard, Kelkar has convened a meeting with all political parties on Monday at 3:00 PM. Kelkar stated, "We are fully prepared for the elections." The updated list reveals that the number of female voters in the state continues to outnumber male voters.

How ​​Many Voters in Kerala?

Of the total electorate, approximately 1.31 crore are male voters, while 1.38 crore are female voters. This reflects the consistent trend observed in Kerala, where the number of female voters typically exceeds that of male voters. The final list also includes 2,23,558 expatriate voters who have registered as voters residing abroad. Officials noted that the final voter list was released on February 20, following a meeting held with representatives from various political parties.

Names of How Many Voters Removed in Kerala?

As part of the revision process, hearings and verifications were conducted across all 140 Assembly constituencies. Under this process, following a verification exercise, 53,229 names were removed from the draft voter list. The removed names included voters who had passed away during the enumeration period, those who had acquired citizenship of another country, those who had relocated outside their respective assembly constituencies, and instances where duplicate entries were detected.

How long did the voter enrollment drive last in Kerala?

Concurrently, a significant number of new voters were added during the revision campaign. Between October 27 of last year and January 30 of this year, the Commission approved 1,351,151 applications submitted via Form 6, which requested the addition of new names to the voter list. Furthermore, 159,111 applications submitted under Form 6A by individuals residing abroad—seeking registration as overseas voters—were also approved.

Is Stiff Competition Expected in Kerala?

In total, the Election Commission processed 2,428,639 applications related to the addition and removal of names during the revision exercise, while 393,333 forms seeking corrections to existing voter details were accepted. Now that the election schedule has been announced, political parties are expected to intensify their preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in the state, which are anticipated to witness a fiercely contested battle.