All government and private educational institutions across several districts of Kerala will observe a mandatory holiday on Thursday, December 11, 2025, in view of the ongoing two-phased general elections to the local self-government bodies (LSG). This closure is a necessary measure to ensure the smooth and efficient conduct of the second phase of polling, as many schools and colleges are utilized as designated polling stations. The government's directive encompasses all schools and colleges, providing a public holiday to facilitate the democratic process and allow both staff and voters to participate.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has strategically divided the polling across Kerala’s 14 districts into two phases to manage the massive electoral exercise effectively. The first phase of voting was held on December 9, 2025, covering the southern districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam. The holiday for those districts was observed on that date.
The holiday declared for December 11, 2025, corresponds to the second phase of polling. This closure will be effective in the central and northern districts of the state, which include Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod. The government notification has made it clear that this is a public holiday, and all educational institutions—irrespective of whether they are polling booths or not—in these specific districts must remain closed for the day.
Beyond just schools, the Kerala government has also declared a public holiday for all government offices and public sector institutions in the specified districts on the respective polling days. Furthermore, commercial undertakings and private sector establishments in these regions have been directed to grant paid holidays to their employees who are registered voters, ensuring that every citizen is able to exercise their constitutional right to vote for their local representatives.
The two-phased election to 1,199 local bodies, encompassing over 23,500 wards, is a crucial exercise in Kerala's democratic structure. The polling aims to elect representatives for Grama Panchayats, Block Panchayats, District Panchayats, Municipalities, and Corporations. With the holidays now announced for both phases, all arrangements are in place to manage the logistics of the election, with the final counting of votes scheduled to take place across the state on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
