Polling stations in Kerala rise by 216 to 30,682 after an Election Commission-approved rationalisation
6 November 2026
Kerala now has 30,682 polling stations, 216 more than before, the State's Chief Electoral Officer D. Sajith Babu announced on Friday. The Election Commission of India (ECI) cleared the rationalisation exercise. Until now the State had 30,471 stations, the same count used for the 2026 Assembly elections. Alongside the 216 new stations, five in Ernakulam district were merged and 178 buildings or locations were shifted. Malappuram still has the most stations (3,773), followed by Thiruvananthapuram (3,173) and Ernakulam (3,154), while Wayanad has the fewest (717). Voters per station, facilities, ease of access and terrain were the criteria considered.
In plain words
Chief Electoral Officer Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of a State — The officer who supervises the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections in a State, under the Election Commission.
ECI Election Commission of India — The constitutional body that conducts elections to Parliament, State legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President.
Rationalisation of polling stations — A periodic review that adds, merges or relocates polling stations so that each serves a manageable number of voters.