Kerala Assembly elections 2026: full schedule

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According to the ECI, approximately 2.18 lakh polling booths will be set up and it will be managed by 2.5 million election officials. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the much-awaited election schedule for the Kerala Assembly election on Sunday (March 15, 2026). The State will hold polling in a single phase on April 9, 2026, with vote counting scheduled for May 4, 2026.

Also read: Assembly elections 2026 schedule highlights

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners S.S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, announced the schedule for the 2026 State Assembly elections in all four States and one Union Territory (Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry) in New Delhi on Sunday (March 15, 2026).

According to the ECI, the Assembly elections will take place in 824 constituencies, with about 17.4 crore eligible voters participating in the democratic process. Approximately 2.18 lakh polling booths will be set up, managed by 2.5 million election officials.

Following the announcement of the schedule, the Model Code of Conduct is now in immediate effect in the States and Union Territories preparing for elections.

Elections in Puducherry and Assam will also happen alongside Kerala.

Poll dates for Kerala (Total seats: 140)

Kerala, currently governed by the Left Democratic Front, is poised for a tightly contested election against the United Democratic Front, while the National Democratic Alliance aims to strengthen its hold in the State.

This election will see 2.71 crore registered voters (including 1.31 crore male voters, 1.38 crore female voters and 277 transgender persons) and a total of 25,231 polling stations. The current term of the Kerala Legislative Assembly is set to conclude on May 23, 2026.

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: March 16, 2026

Last date for nominations: March 23, 2026

Scrutiny of nominations: March 24, 2026