Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2026 Timeline & Schedule
Gazette notification dates, nomination deadlines, scrutiny, withdrawal schedules, single-phase polling date, and vote counting milestones.
Key Statutory Dates & Chronology
Issue of Notification & Nominations Begin
Statutory gazette notification published; filing of candidate nominations commences before Returning Officers across all 234 assembly segments.
Last Date for Making Nominations
Cut-off for candidate nomination papers and mandatory affidavit disclosures (Form 26, asset declarations, and criminal history records).
Scrutiny of Nominations
Returning officers review all submitted nomination papers, verify proposer eligibility, party symbols authorization (Form A & B), and legal qualifications.
Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidatures
Deadline for candidate voluntary withdrawals; final list of contesting candidates and symbol allocations prepared for EVM ballot units.
Single-Phase General Polling
Universal adult suffrage polling across 68,000+ polling stations in all 234 assembly constituencies with VVPAT-enabled electronic voting machines.
Counting of Votes & Declaration
Commencement of EVM postal ballot counting and EVM round counting across designated counting centers; winners issued Certificates of Election (Form 22).
Completion of Election Process
Statutory deadline for the completion of the election process and submission of the list of elected members to the Hon'ble Governor of Tamil Nadu.