Ballot Paper Voting in Jharkhand Municipal Elections, No NOTA Option
Ranchi: The State Election Commission has officially announced the schedule for municipal elections across Jharkhand, ending months of anticipation in urban areas. Polling will take place on February 23, 2026, while vote counting and results will be declared on February 27, State Election Commissioner Alka Tiwari said on Tuesday.
With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in all municipal areas where elections will be held.
Voting Details
Polling will be conducted from 7 am to 5 pm across all notified urban local bodies. In a major departure from earlier polls, voting will be carried out through ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Commission has also confirmed that NOTA will not be available in this election.
Non-Party Civic Contest
Another key feature of the civic polls is that candidates will contest on a non-party basis, without political party symbols. The Commission said this move aims to preserve the civic and local character of municipal governance.
48 Urban Bodies to Go to Polls
The elections will be held in a total of 48 urban local bodies, including:
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9 Municipal Corporations
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20 Municipal Councils
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19 Nagar Panchayats
Over 43 Lakh Voters
Jharkhand has a total of 43,23,574 registered voters for the municipal elections.
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Male voters: 22,07,203
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Female voters: 21,16,227
To facilitate smooth polling, more than 4,000 polling stations have been set up across the state.
Security and Monitoring
The Commission will deploy General Observers and Expenditure Observers in all municipal bodies to monitor the process and ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.
With the election calendar now public, political mobilisation has intensified across urban Jharkhand. The coming weeks are expected to witness a surge in campaign activity as aspirants gear up for a crucial civic battle.
