District Collector N. Devidas on Tuesday said that all administrative and logistical arrangements are in place for the upcoming 2026 State assembly elections. Following the official notification, the district machinery has shifted into high gear to ensure a smooth, transparent, and inclusive polling process. According to the latest electoral rolls, Kollam district has a total of 20,84,011 voters across its 11 constituencies. The electorate comprises 9,96,263 men, 10,87,727 women, and 21 transgender voters. The Collector added that special focus is being given to inclusivity, with 18,904 voters with disabilities (PwD), 26,451 senior citizens, and 16,024 first-time young voters identified to participate in the democratic exercise. To facilitate voting, 2,256 polling stations have been established at 1,094 locations. While 1,816 stations are situated in urban areas, 440 are in rural sectors. In an effort to make the voting experience more welcoming, the administration will set up 55 model polling stations and 11 Pink polling stations managed entirely by women. Notably, a special polling station of international standards will be arranged in the Kollam constituency. For security and transparency, 180 stations have been identified as critical, where enhanced monitoring will be implemented. The human resource deployment for the election is solid, with 2,707 Presiding Officers, 8,121 Polling Officers, and 180 micro observers being assigned duties. These officials will undergo a rigorous three-stage training process led by State and district-level master trainers. Regarding the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Collector confirmed that 2,820 Control Units, 2,820 Ballot Units, and 3,020 VVPAT machines have cleared the first-level checks and are securely stored in the district warehouse. The first randomization of these machines is scheduled for March 19, after which they will be moved to constituency-level strong rooms. The counting process will be centralized at two major centres: St. Aloysius Higher Secondary School and Christ Raj Higher Secondary School in Kollam.Published - March 17, 2026 06:58 pm IST