Assembly elections for five states/UTs and several bye-elections for April 2026.

 Assembly elections for five states/UTs and several bye-elections for April 2026.

 The first major phase of polling (April 9) has just concluded, and the next set of elections is scheduled for later this month.

State Assembly Election Schedule

Bye-Election Schedule

In addition to the general assembly elections, bye-elections are being held in specific constituencies across several states:

• April 9, 2026 (Completed): Bye-elections were held in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura.

• April 23, 2026 (Upcoming): Bye-elections are scheduled for specific seats in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Key Details for Voters

• Voting Hours: Generally from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

• Identification: While the Voter ID (EPIC) is the primary document, the ECI usually allows alternative photo IDs like Aadhaar, PAN card, or Driving License if you are already registered in the electoral roll.

• Holiday: Polling days are typically declared as paid holidays in the respective states to encourage voter turnout.

• The voting percentages for the first major phase of the 2026 Assembly elections, held on April 9, 2026, show record-breaking participation in several regions.

   

  Assembly Elections (April 9, 2026)

  The Election Commission has reported “historic” turnouts, particularly in Assam and Puducherry, which recorded their highest-ever polling figures.

   

  State / Union Territory	Final Estimated Turnout (%)	Highlights
  Puducherry	89.87%	Highest in the history of the UT.
  Assam	85.64%	A record high; Muslim-majority seats saw spikes over 90%.
  Kerala	78.27%	Highest since 1987; female turnout was notably high at 80.86%.

• Bye-Elections (April 9, 2026)

  Several key constituencies also went to the polls during this phase:

  • Nagaland (Koridang): 82.21%

  • Tripura (Dharmanagar): 80.04%

  • Karnataka (Bagalkot): 68.70%

  • Karnataka (Davanagere South): 68.55%

  Why is the turnout so high?

  The Election Commission attributed these figures to:

  • Special Intensive Revisions: Cleaning up electoral rolls (removing duplicates and deceased voters) naturally lifted the percentage.

  • Voter-Friendly Measures: Features like color photographs on EVMs and AI-based queue tracking in states like Kerala helped streamline the process.

  Upcoming Polling: Data for the next major phases in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will be available after their respective polling dates on April 23 and April 29.

• As of today, April 11, 2026, there are no official exit poll predictions available.

  Under Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has strictly prohibited the conduct and publication of exit polls during the current election cycle.

   

  Why are there no predictions yet?

  • The Ban Period: The ECI ban is in effect from 7:00 AM on April 9 until 6:30 PM on April 29, 2026.

     

  • Reason for the Ban: Since elections are being held in multiple phases across states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, publishing results from states that have already finished (like Kerala and Assam) could unfairly influence voters in the states yet to go to the polls.

  When will the Exit Polls be released?

  You can expect all major media houses (Axis My India, CVoter, Today’s Chanakya, etc.) to release their data almost immediately after the final phase of voting concludes:

  • Exit Poll Release Date: April 29, 2026 (after 6:30 PM IST).

  • Official Result Date: May 4, 2026.

     

  Summary of the Situation

  Category	Status / Date
  Current Status	🚫 Strictly Banned by ECI
  Release Window	Evening of April 29, 2026
  Phases Covered	Assam, Kerala, TN, West Bengal, and Puducherry
  Penalty for Violation	Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or fine