Chef Election Officer (Karela) Rathan U. Kelkar:
Kiela, which will face the elections in 2026, may need approximately 6,500 more election stations with the Indian Election Commission (ECI), which sets a limit of 1200 voters to the polling station, revealed a preliminary assessment.
All new polling stations will be permanent because the concept of “auxiliary election stations” was removed, said Rathan U. Kelkar, the main election officer (Kerala), in the middle of Hind.
“The number of polling stations will increase. We have started this process. We feel that we may need another 6,500 polling stations throughout the state. This is an estimate based on the limits we have,” Kelkar said.
The evaluation is turned on at the district level and identifies new spaces for implementing the ECI directive in the voter station ratio. New polling stations open after consultation with political parties, which is a mandatory requirement. Currently, Kerala has 25,494 polling stations, Mr. Kelkar said.
According to the ECI definition, the polling station is “The room/hall set for voting, where the voters of the electoral space in question handed over their votes on the day of the vote. It is also referred to as the election stand.” As part of the former ECI arrangement, he used the number of voters in the electoral area to open the prescribed limit.
Mr. Kelkar’s office has already carried out a new arrangement in the Nilamburk’s election district, where 59 permanent stalls for Byelation of June 19 were added, which required the resignation of the independent PV Anvar MLA. The Nilambur election district now has 263 polling stations.
Finding a space for new polling stations in Kerala may not prove difficult, because most polling stations are located in schools and universities, said Mr. Kelkar. In most cases, new stations can be accommodated by providing more classrooms.
Published – May 28, 2025 17:05
