Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Kerala Local Polls Phase 1 Records 70.9% Turnout With Repoll Ordered as Phase 2 Set for Thursday

The two-phase contest is viewed as a bellwether for the 2026 Assembly elections.

Overview

  • Provisional State Election Commission data put Phase 1 turnout at about 70.9% across seven southern districts after largely peaceful polling from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Voting covered 11,168 wards in 595 local bodies, with Ernakulam recording the highest turnout and Pathanamthitta the lowest in the first phase.
  • The SEC ordered a repoll in Mannanchery, Alappuzha, on December 11 after an EVM fault, and polling was postponed in three wards due to candidate deaths, including Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram.
  • Major corporations saw subdued participation: Thiruvananthapuram 58.24%, Kollam 63.32% and Kochi about 62.5%, according to district updates.
  • Phase 2 on December 11 will elect representatives in 12,391 wards across 604 local bodies in seven northern districts, with over 1.53 crore voters set to participate and counting on December 13.