76.08% vote in second phase of local body polls, Kerala records overall turnout of 73.69%

The Hindu Bureau

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Kerala recorded a voter turnout of 73.69% in the two-phased 2025 polls to the local bodies held on December 9 and 11, as per the provisional figures released by the State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday night.

While the December 9 Phase I polling in the southern seven districts had logged a turnout of 70.91%, Phase II polls on Thursday covering the remaining seven northern districts recorded 76.08%.

The SEC is expected to publish the final data on polling percentages on Friday.

Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod went to the polls on Thursday (December 11) and 1.16 crore of the 1.53 crore voters in these districts exercised their right to vote.

In Phase I, 94.10 lakh of the 1.32 crore voters in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Alappuzha and Ernakulam had exercised their franchise on December 9.

As per the available data, Wayanad had the highest polling at 78.3% and Pathanamthitta, the lowest at 66.78% followed by Thiruvananthapuram (67.47%). 74.51% of female voters, 72.76% of male voters and 40.42% of transgender voters exercised their franchise in the two phases.

In the 2020 local body elections, held in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala had recorded a turnout of 75.95%. In 2015, it was 77.76% and in 2010 76.32%, show SEC data.

State Election Commissioner A. Shajahan said that Thursday’s polling was conducted in a peaceful manner. The counting of the votes polled in the two phases will be held on Saturday across 244 centres. The final results are expected to be declared by 2 p.m. the same day, Mr. Shajahan said.

Newly-elected members/councillors of grama, block and district panchayats and municipalities and Corporations will take the oath on December 21.

Mr. Shajahan said the 2025 elections were held peacefully. The dates for the elections to three wards, where polls were postponed following the deaths of candidates, will be announced kin due course, he said. The list includes Payimbadam ward in Moothedam grama panchayat, Malappuram; Onakkoor ward in Pambakkuda grama panchayat, Ernakulam, and the Vizhinjam ward in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

“The elections were held in two phases on December 9 and 11 after a process launched one-and-a-half-years ago with the delimitation of local body wards. The ward delimitation was followed by  revisions of the electoral rolls in line with the changes in the wards,” Mr. Shajahan said, thanking all stakeholders including voters, election officials and the police personnel for ensuring that the electoral process went off smoothly.

Mr. Shajahan also directed the candidates to remove the flags and festoons that were installed during the election campaigns. On their failure to do so, the Secretary of the local body will be instructed to remove them at the expense of the candidate concerned, he said.