The local body elections in Maharashtra are set to be conducted in three phases, covering municipal councils, nagar panchayats, Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and municipal corporations.
In the first phase, elections will be held for municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
The second phase will cover voting for Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis.
In the third and final phase, the schedule for municipal corporation elections will be announced.
The elections were delayed due to floods and heavy rainfall, as government machinery in several rural areas remains engaged in relief and rehabilitation work.
The Supreme Court has directed that local body elections must be completed by January 31, 2026, and civic polls are expected to be held around 10 days before that deadline.
State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare announced the schedule at a press conference, confirming that elections for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats eligible for polls will be held first.
Key Election Details
A total of 6,859 members and 248 chairpersons will be elected.
Nomination forms will be accepted through the State Election Commission’s official website, with physical submission to the local election officer after online filing.
The voter list as of October 31, 2025, will be used.
There are approximately 10.7 million voters and 13,355 polling stations.
Voting will be conducted using EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines).
Caste validity certificates are mandatory for all candidates.
Voters can check their names and polling stations on the official SEC website, which includes a search facility. A mobile app will also provide details about polling booths and candidates.
Voter List and Duplicate Detection
Voter-wise lists will be published on November 7.
To prevent duplicate voting, a special “star marking” system will be implemented at polling stations, once a voter casts their vote, corresponding marks will ensure they cannot vote elsewhere.
Facilities at polling booths will include provisions for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, mothers with infants, and senior citizens.
Arrangements for electricity, drinking water, shade, and toilets will be ensured.
Select “pink booths” will be managed entirely by women staff.
Mobile phones will be allowed inside buildings but not inside the voting area.
Election Timeline
Nomination filing: November 10, 2025
Nomination filing Last Date: November 17, 2025
Verification of nomination papers: November 18
Voting day: December 2
Counting of votes: December 3
Election results: December 10
Special arrangements to detect duplicate voters
In response to recent opposition criticism over the issue of duplicate voters, the Election Commission has introduced special measures. A tool has been developed to flag potential duplicate voters, marking their names with two stars. The election officer will investigate these cases in advance to determine where the voter is supposed to cast their vote. Voters who fail to respond beforehand will be required to submit a declaration when they come to vote.
Administrative Arrangements and Staff
The administrative machinery for the elections has been put in place:
Returning Officers: 288
Assistant Returning Officers: 288
Total staff deployed: 66,675
Details of Reserved Seats
Reservation has been applied for wards and member positions in this election:
Total wards: 3,820
Total members: 6,859
Wards reserved for women: 3,492
Election Commission's mobile app to help voters
Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has made a website available for voters. The Election Commissioner informed that voters will be able to find their name and polling station through its search facility. However, he said that a mobile app has also been developed. Through this, voters will be able to get information about their name on the voter list, polling station, information about the candidate, candidate's affidavit, information about criminal background, education, and financial status.
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