No exit polls will be released after voting. (Photo: ANI)
Assembly Elections 2026 Exit Poll Date and Time: Despite the ongoing polling in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, there is one main absence when it comes to exit polls related to the election results. While the voting process in these states will conclude on April 9, no exit poll results will be revealed on today. The reason for this is the strict guidelines set forth by the ECI to hold elections fairly in phases.
Here are the reasons for why exit polls are not allowed today and when they will eventually see the light of the day.
This can be attributed to the fact that the 2026 Assembly Elections are taking place in several rounds in various states. While Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are going to the polls today, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will hold their elections later this month.
Tamil Nadu Elections Date: April 23
Elections in West Bengal will be held in two rounds on April 23 and April 29
As some states are yet to go to the polls, ECI has banned exit polls all over India until the election process is complete in all states.
It implies that even though one state has finished its voting, the results of an exit poll cannot be published until the last round of voting has been held.
The regulation is provided for under Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which provides the ECI the authority to manage exit polls.
In clear terms, the Commission notes that:
Exit polls are prohibited starting April 9, 7:00 AM.
The restriction will stay in effect until April 29, 6:30 PM, 2026.
Publication of exit polls will amount to an offence against the law.
Penalties include: Two years imprisonment, A fine or both
The objective is to prevent voter interference in states that have not yet participated in voting.
The results from the exit polls in all five states, namely Kerala, Assam, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, will be announced only after the voting ends in the last phase.
Date and Time:
April 29, 2026, post 6:30 PM
It is only after this time that media organisations and polling agencies would be able to declare their forecasts.
The poll agency Axis My India has also stated that they will follow the guidelines and announce the results only after the stipulated time.
An exit poll is an opinion survey conducted by organizations after voters come out of the polling stations. It tries to predict the outcome of the election through the opinions of voters.
Though exit polls have created hype in many elections, there have been cases where they were proved to be wrong in their predictions.
The election process will be conducted in three states in India:
Assam: 126 assembly constituencies
Kerala: 140 assembly constituencies
Puducherry: 30 assembly constituencies
Number of Voters:
Assam: 2.5 crore voters, of which around 5.7 lakh are first-time voters
Kerala: 2.7 crore voters, of which 4.24 lakh are first-time voters
Puducherry: 9.4 lakh voters, of which 23,000 are first-time voters
Total Number of Polling Stations:
Assam: 31,486
Kerala: 30,471
Puducherry: 1,099
The answer is no for all three regions:
Assam: Exit polls will not be released today
Kerala: Exit polls are also restricted
Puducherry: Exit polls remain banned
The restriction applies uniformly across all states, regardless of when voting ends locally.
The exit poll ban is designed to majorly prevent influencing voters in states where polling is pending. It is to ensure a level playing field for all political parties. Exit polls are there to maintain the integrity of the electoral process
Delaying the results of the exit polls guarantees that the behaviour of voters during subsequent phases is not impacted by forecasts from the earlier phases. As the voters in the states of Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry go to the polls, there is no hope of receiving results of exit polls until now.
The Election Commission of India regulations state that all the exit polls will be published after April 29, 2026, after 6:30 PM, once the voting process ends in West Bengal. Until that time, publication of exit polls is completely barred according to law.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience reporting on Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes journalism plays a crucial role in amplifying unheard voices and bringing attention to issues that truly matter. Sofia has contributed articles to The New Indian Express, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Maktoob Media. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity. Beyond the newsroom, she is a music enthusiast who enjoys singing. Connect with Sofia on X: https://x.com/SBCism
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