Kerala Assembly Election Results Just Hours Away; Counting Begins at 8 AM Monday

Thiruvananthapuram: The wait for Kerala's assembly election results is nearly over, with vote counting set to begin at 8 am on Monday across 140 centres at 43 locations statewide. The first indications of results are expected by around 9 am.

A total of 15,465 officials will be involved in the counting process, including 140 Returning Officers, 1,340 Additional Returning Officers, 4,208 micro-observers, 4,208 counting supervisors, and 5,563 counting assistants.

How Counting Will Proceed

Strong rooms storing polling materials will be opened at around 7 am in the presence of candidates or their agents, with live video recording throughout. Postal ballots will be counted first, with separate counting tables set up for every 500 postal ballots, each supervised by an Assistant Returning Officer.

EVM counting will begin at 8 am in constituencies with no postal ballots, and at around 8.30 am in others. Each round of EVM counting will cover a maximum of 14 booths, with 14 counting tables arranged at each centre accordingly.

If any discrepancy is found between the EVM vote count and the number of votes polled at a booth, VVPAT slips — which carry the candidate's serial number, name, and symbol — will be counted. All verification will be conducted in the presence of agents. Mandatorily, VVPAT slips from five booths in each constituency will be counted regardless.

Mobile Phone Restrictions

Inside the counting hall, only the Election Observer and the Returning Officer are permitted to use mobile phones. All others must deposit their phones at designated deposit units set up outside the hall.