Kerala, along with Assam and Puducherry, went to the polls on Thursday, April 9, to vote for its next state government. According to data from the Election Commission, voter turnout in Kerala as of 7pm reached 77.45 per cent. People wait in a queue to cast votes during the Kerala Assembly elections, at a polling station, in Thiruvananthapuram, (PTI)
2.71 crore voters went to the polls on Thursday to elect their next representatives in the 140-seat state legislative assembly. Track LIVE updates on the state elections 2026
For the state, it's a tight three-way contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance, and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
While the polls for the 140 seats closed at 5pm, those inside the polling stations and in line to cast their vote were allowed to exercise their right to vote.
Where the Kerala voter turnout stands | 7 PM data The voter turnout for the Kerala assembly elections 2026 now stands at 77.45 per cent, as of 7pm. While this is likely to be the final voter turnout as polls of closed, a detailed number will be shared by the Election Commission later.
Based on data provided by the EC and accessed by HT, as of 5pm, the highest turnout has been recorded in the Kozhikode district at 77.63 per cent.
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Meanwhile, the lowest turnout has been recorded at Pathanamthitta district at 68.90 per cent. In terms of assembly constituencies, the highest has been recorded in Kunnathunad in Ernakulam district at 81.99 per cent.
The lowest turnout is 66.81 per cent in Kaduthuruthy in the Kottayam district.
EC expects 90 per cent turnout in Kerala Speaking to news agency PTI, Kerala chief electoral officer (CEO) Rathan U Kelkar said the voting trend indicated that 90 per cent voter turnout would be seen in the state.
“If the current trend continues, by the time polling concludes, we are confident we will see a turnout of 90 per cent,” Kelkar was quoted as saying.
The voter turnout for the 2026 assembly elections has crossed that of previous elections. In 2021, the overall voter turnout for the 140-seat assembly election stood at 74.06 per cent.