In its letter, State Election Commission said polls will be held using ballot boxes in line with a govt notification
Bengaluru: Long-pending elections to zilla (ZPs), taluk (TPs) and gram panchayats (GPs) could be drawing close with the State Election Commission (SEC) ordering districts to urgently verify and furnish fresh details of ballot boxes available.
District authorities submitted the information by email on July 20. In its letter marked ‘most urgent’, SEC said elections to GPs, TPs and ZPs will be conducted using ballot boxes in accordance with the govt amendment notification issued on April 15, 2026. It said the updated stock position was crucial to preparations since availability and condition of ballot boxes is a basic requirement to conduct polls across the three tiers of rural local bodies.
However, subsequent physical inspections found huge discrepancies in the data. In some districts, officials found ballot boxes that had not been entered in stock registers, while incorrect information was also submitted. SEC has now asked all districts to physically verify and submit complete details by the weekend. The latest exercise is significant as it indicates that election machinery is moving beyond preparatory policy decisions and towards logistical readiness. With delimitation, reservation and now ballot-box verification progressing, polls cannot be very far away.
SEC had earlier sought details of large ballot boxes in good condition that could be used for GP elections.