Kerala Assembly Election 2026: Voter list deadline and official training schedule announced

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Adding new names to the voters' list for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections has effectively concluded. While the formal deadline for filing nomination papers ends tomorrow, March 23, and applications for inclusion can technically be submitted until then, only those received by March 15 are eligible for this election cycle. Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Ratan U. Khelkar clarified that the administrative procedure for registration takes 10 days, meaning applications submitted after the cutoff will be processed only after the results are declared on May 4.

In preparation for the April 9 polls, the first phase of randomisation for election officials has been finalised. District Election Officer and Collector Anu Kumari announced that 9,526 Presiding and First Polling Officers, along with 106 Micro Observers, have been selected from a total pool of 19,052 officials. This workforce is essential for managing the 3,173 polling stations across the Thiruvananthapuram district.

Mandatory training for these officials will commence on March 24 and run through March 28. The sessions are scheduled in morning and afternoon blocks across 20 designated centres. Officials can access and download their deployment orders from the official portal at order.ceo.kerala.gov.in using their personal or office-head logins to confirm their specific dates and locations.

All personnel attending the sessions must carry their Election Voter ID to facilitate applications for postal ballots. A special provision has been made for teachers currently engaged in examination duties; if they are unable to attend their assigned slot, they may report to their designated training centre on any alternative date within the training window of March 24 to 28.