Voters in large numbers thronged polling stations in Puducherry from early morning on Thursday (April 9, 2026) to elect a new 30-member Legislative Assembly. At 7 a.m., when polling began, long queues of women, young and old were witnessed at several booths across this former French enclave.
Within the first four hours, as much as 37.06% of voters had turned up at polling booths. The Union Territory recorded 82.2% polling in the 2021 Assembly elections. As many as 9.50 lakh electors, spread across the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, are expected to participate as polling advances during the day.