Kerala declares public holidays on Dec 9 & 11 for local body elections 2025; schools and colleges to remain closed

The Kerala government has announced public holidays on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, and Thursday, December 11, 2025, in connection with the 2025 Local Body Elections. The order applies to all government offices and educational institutions across the state. In addition, commercial and private establishments have been directed to grant paid leave to their employees on the respective polling dates.

District-Wise Holiday Schedule
As per the official notification, the two holidays will be observed separately by districts to facilitate smooth polling and maximize voter participation.


Holiday on December 9, 2025
Applicable in the districts of:

• Thiruvananthapuram
• Kollam
• Pathanamthitta
• Alappuzha
• Kottayam
• Idukki
• Ernakulam

Holiday on December 11, 2025
Applicable in the districts of:

• Thrissur
• Palakkad
• Malappuram
• Kozhikode
• Wayanad
• Kannur
• Kasaragod

Polling Schedule and Voting Details
Elections for 1,199 out of the 1,200 local bodies will be held on December 9 and 11, 2025. Voting will take place from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM on both days.

Real-time election results will be available through the State Election Commission’s online portal “TREND 2025”, which will update live counting data.
A total of 1,199 local bodies, including:

• Grama Panchayats
• Block Panchayats
• District Panchayats
• Municipalities
• Corporations

will participate in the polling process.

Holiday Applicable to Both Public & Private Sectors
The declared holidays apply to:

• All government departments
• Schools, colleges, and other educational institutions
• Public sector units
• Private commercial establishments

By mandating paid leave for employees, the government ensures that working individuals are not prevented from exercising their voting rights.

Objective: Smooth Elections & Increased Voter Turnout
With polling split across two dates, the government aims to reduce logistical challenges, ensure orderly execution of the elections, and enable higher voter participation across all districts.