Thiruvananthapuram: Employees working in the IT sector, private establishments, industrial centres and institutions governed by the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act will be granted paid leave on the day of voting for the local government elections. Daily-wage workers and casual employees must also be given paid leave on the polling day.

Government offices and educational institutions in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam will have a holiday on December 9, when elections are being held. On December 11, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts will also observe a holiday.