For the upcoming local body elections in Kerala, the State Election Commission has capped the number of voters per polling station in urban local bodies—municipalities and Corporations—at 1,500 and in panchayats at at 1,200.
The commission has slashed the numbers from 1,600 in the urban local bodies and 1,300 in the panchayats following a request made by political parties in July this year. State Election Commissioner S. Shajahan told The Hindu on Thursday (October 30, 2025) that political parties were informed about the change during a meeting on the poll arrangements held with them on Wednesday.
Urban local bodies tend to have higher numbers per polling station as each voter needs to cast only one vote. In the panchayats, polling takes more time per voter as each voter has three votes—for electing the representatives to the grama panchayat, block panchayat and district panchayat.
To avoid crowding
Political parties had urged the State Election Commission, tasked with drawing up voters’ lists and holding elections to local bodies, to reduce the numbers to avoid overcrowding. They had also pointed out that the Election Commission of India, responsible for Assembly and Parliament elections, has now capped the number at 1,200.
The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had wanted the commission to keep the numbers at 1,100 in the panchayats and 1,300 in the municipalities and Corporations.
33,757 polling stations
As per the number finalised by the commission, Kerala will have 33,757 polling stations across panchayats, municipalities and Corporations for the local body polls. This number could undergo minor changes, commission officials said. Panchayats have 28,137 polling stations, municipalities 3,604 and the six Corporations, 2,016 polling stations.
The number has gone up from the previous 30,759 polling stations when the voter numbers per polling station were 1,600 in the urban local bodies and 1,300 in the panchayats, according to the commission.
As per the final voters’ list published by the commission on October 25, 2025, the State has 2,84,30,761 voters in all.
Published – October 30, 2025 04:30 pm IST
