Overview
- Polling opened at 7 a.m. in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam, covering 11,168 wards in 595 local bodies.
- About 1.32 crore voters are eligible and 36,630 candidates are contesting; a mock poll was held at 6 a.m., voting runs until 6 p.m., and those in queue by closing time can cast ballots.
- The State Election Commission has marked 480 polling stations as sensitive with live webcasting or videography and reinforced security at those locations.
- Ballot units do not include the NOTA option and VVPATs are not being used for these local body polls, the election authority confirmed.
- Phase 2 polling is on December 11 in the remaining seven districts, and counting for both phases is scheduled for December 13.