Maharashtra Local Body Elections to Be Held on EVMs, Not Ballot Papers, Confirms State Election Commissioner

Mumbai: Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare has officially confirmed that all upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra will be conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and not ballot papers.

The announcement was made during a press conference on November 4, where Waghmare addressed questions regarding the voting method for municipal councils and nagar panchayats. Opposition parties had earlier demanded that elections be conducted via ballot papers, alleging EVM tampering during last year’s Assembly polls. However, the Commission has now made it clear that EVMs will continue to be used to ensure transparency, efficiency, and credibility in the election process.

“For the upcoming elections, there are 1.03 crore voters across 13,355 polling stations in the state. All necessary EVM arrangements and checks have been completed,” said Waghmare.

These elections will mark the first phase of the state’s local body polls, covering 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats. The remaining 105 nagar panchayats will go to polls once their terms conclude.

Election Schedule:

Nomination Filing: November 10, 2025

Last Date for Nominations: November 17, 2025

Scrutiny of Nominations: November 18, 2025

Withdrawal of Nominations: November 21–25, 2025

Final Candidate List: November 26, 2025

Voting Day: December 2, 2025

Counting of Votes: December 3, 2025

Final Results Announcement: December 10, 2025