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CEC Urges Transparent Voting as Kerala Prepares for 2026 Assembly Polls

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has called upon Kerala's electorate to vote transparently and peacefully in the upcoming 2026 Legislative Assembly elections. He made the appeal during the launch of a youth voter awareness anthem in Kochi, where he also interacted with young voters and presented EPIC cards to first-timers. An ECI delegation led by Kumar reviewed poll preparedness for Kerala and several other states set for elections in 2026. The Commission has introduced new measures, including printing color photographs of candidates on EVM ballot papers and mandating VVPAT slip counts in cases of data discrepancies.

Key Points: CEC Gyanesh Kumar Calls for Peaceful Kerala Elections

  • CEC appeals for transparent Kerala polls
  • ECI delegation reviews 2026 preparedness
  • New EVM ballots to feature color candidate photos
  • VVPAT slips mandatory for mismatch cases
  • SVEEP anthem launched for youth voter awareness
2 min read

"Vote transparently, peacefully in Kerala elections": CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar appeals for transparent voting in Kerala's 2026 Assembly polls, highlighting new ECI initiatives like color candidate photos on EVMs.

"I would like to request each elector of Keralam to come out and vote transparently and peacefully - CEC Gyanesh Kumar"

Kochi, March 6

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Friday requested electors to vote "transparently and peacefully" in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly elections.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar attended the audio launch of 'SVEEP 2026 Gen-Z Anthem' by the Ernakulam district administration ahead of the Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "As the Chief Election Commissioner of India, I would like to request each elector of Keralam to come out and vote transparently and peacefully in such a way that elections in Kerala are not only a model for India but for the world."

He also interacted with young voters while witnessing vibrant voter awareness initiatives. According to the ECI, he joined young voters in a Voter Awareness activity and took a walk along the Goshree Bridge.

The CEC led the Voters' Pledge for young voters, encouraging greater participation in the democratic process and also presented EPIC cards to first-time voters.

Earlier on Thursday, during his visit to Kochi, CEC Gyanesh Kumar interacted with officials who had worked with him during his tenure as Collector of Kochi, over tea.

An Election Commission delegation led by Gyanesh Kumar, along with ECs Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reviewed poll preparedness for the forthcoming Kerala Assembly Elections 2026.

Along with Kerala, other States and Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal and Assam will also hold polls in 2026. Under ECI's 30 initiatives, the poll body has revised guidelines to make EVM Ballot Papers more readable. For the first time, photographs of candidates will be printed in colour on the EVM Ballot Paper.

ECI has made it mandatory to count VVPAT slips in each and every case of mismatch between Form 17C and EVM data, and wherever mock poll data was not erased erroneously, ECI said in an X post.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good to see the CEC engaging with Gen-Z through an anthem and walk. Youth participation is crucial. But I hope the focus on "peaceful" voting is taken seriously by all political parties in Kerala. The campaigning can get very heated there.
A
Aman W
The mandatory counting of VVPAT slips in case of mismatch is a welcome move for sure. It should boost public confidence in EVMs. However, the EC must ensure these guidelines are implemented uniformly across all states, not just Kerala.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the CEC revisiting his old workplace in Kochi. Shows a personal connect. The pledge for young voters is a nice symbolic gesture. Hope it translates into actual informed voting, not just getting the EPIC card for ID purposes.
V
Vikram M
"Model for the world" is a big claim. Kerala's literacy rate is high, so voter awareness should be too. The real test will be in states with lower awareness. The EC's 30 initiatives need to be robust everywhere. All the best for 2026!
K
Kavya N
As a first-time voter from Tamil Nadu (also polling in 2026), I'm glad to hear about these changes. Colour photos on the ballot will be so helpful! Makes the process less intimidating. Hope they do similar awareness drives here as well.

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