All set for polling in Kottayam

With just a day to go for the local body elections, the Kottayam district administration has completed all arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of polling.

Elections will be held across 89 local bodies in the district, including the District panchayat, 11 block panchayats, 71 grama panchayats, and six municipalities, covering a total of 1,611 electoral constituencies. A total of 1,925 polling booths have been set up to serve 1,641,249 registered voters, comprising 856,321 women, 784,842 men, 13 transgender voters, and 73 expatriate voters.

A total of 5,281 candidates are contesting: 83 for the District Panchayat, 489 for block panchayats, 4,032 for grama panchayats, and 677 for municipalities.

Ballot papers featuring candidates’ names and symbols have been affixed in electronic voting machines (EVMs), which are securely stored in the strong rooms of the distribution-receipt centres. Polling materials will be dispatched across 11 blocks and six municipalities starting 8 a.m. on Monday. To facilitate the smooth movement of officials to polling stations, 724 vehicles have been arranged. Additionally, 134 vehicles have been allocated for sectoral officers.

Kottayam District Collector and Chief Election Officer, Chetan Kumar Meena, announced that polling day will be a public holiday in the district. Institutions functioning as distribution-receipt centres and polling stations will also remain closed on December 8 and 9.

In total, 9,514 ballot units and 3,403 control units have been prepared for the elections. A total of 9,272 officials have been assigned polling duties. The District Collector has also emphasised strict adherence to environmental guidelines throughout the election process.

A mock poll will be conducted at 6 a.m. on Tuesday in the presence of political party representatives, and actual voting will commence only after the machines are cleared.

After polling concludes, EVMs will be transferred from the distribution-receipt centres to strong rooms. Counting will be held at the same centres on December 13, while postal ballots for the District Panchayat divisions will be counted at the District Panchayat Hall.