CEC Gyanesh Kumar: Kerala Polls Set Global Benchmark for Democracy

• Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated Kerala's upcoming assembly elections will be a model for the world, citing strong preparedness and political cooperation.
• New initiatives include mobile phones allowed up to polling station gates, EVMs with candidate photos, and real-time turnout data via ECINET every two hours.
• Transparency measures feature 100% webcasting at all polling stations and mandatory VVPAT counting for Form 17C/EVM data mismatches.
• Special arrangements for senior citizens (85+) and persons with disabilities (PwD) allow home voting, alongside college outreach for youth participation.
• Postal ballots will be counted two rounds before EVM votes to streamline the counting process.