Kerala voters to have middle finger inked in upcoming local body by-elections—know why?

Thiruvananthapuram: Voters participating in the Kerala local body by-elections on 10 December will have their middle finger on the left hand marked with indelible ink, the State Election Commission has announced. Traditionally, the ink is applied to the index finger of the left hand during elections.

The decision was taken as the ink mark on the index fingers of voters who cast their ballots in the Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections on 13 and 20 November is unlikely to fade by 10 December. This measure is aimed at helping polling officials identify voters during the by-elections.

The directive applies solely to the by-elections scheduled on 10 December, which will cover 31 local body wards across the state.

According to election guidelines, polling or presiding officers are required to apply ink to the index finger of a voter’s left hand to prevent impersonation. However, voters with an existing ink mark on their index finger from previous elections are barred from voting. To address this issue, the commission has decided to mark the middle finger for the upcoming by-elections.