Rajasthan civic polls: Re-polling on Sep 16 at booths in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota
Synopsis
EVM malfunctions in Rajasthan's urban civic body elections have forced the State Election Commission to order re-polling at 10 booths across Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota and Suket on 16 September — because the number of affected votes exceeded the margin between the closest rivals at each booth, leaving those ward results in limbo.
Key Takeaways
The Rajasthan State Election Commission ordered re-polling on 16 September 2026 at 10 booths across Jaipur , Jodhpur , Kota , and Suket .
Trigger: EVM technical malfunctions during the urban civic body elections; affected votes exceeded the margin between closest candidates.
Re-poll timing: 7 am to 6 pm on 16 September ; counting begins 8 am on 17 September .
Only voters on the electoral roll of the concerned booth are eligible; fresh indelible ink will be applied after removing the original mark.
Original EVMs from the affected booths will be sealed and kept in safe custody after the re-poll.
The Rajasthan State Election Commission on Monday, 14 September 2026, ordered re-polling at select polling stations across Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, and Suket after technical malfunctions in electronic voting machines (EVMs) disrupted the recently concluded urban civic body elections in the state. The Commission determined that the number of votes potentially affected by the EVM failures exceeded the margin between the closest rival candidates at each of the affected booths.
Affected Polling Stations
Re-polling has been ordered at the following locations: Jaipur Municipal Corporation — Ward No. 9 (Booth 111), Ward No. 18 (Booth 235), Ward No. 25 (Booth 343), Ward No. 34 (Booths 477 and 484); Jodhpur Municipal Corporation — Ward No. 50 (Booth 338); Kota Municipal Corporation — Ward No. 87 (Booth 99), Ward No. 44 (Booth 448), Ward No. 11 (Booth 576); and Suket Municipality — Ward No. 4 (Booth 5).
The Commission reached its decision after examining reports submitted by the respective District Election Officers and Returning Officers, who confirmed that the EVM malfunctions had rendered the original results at these booths unreliable.
Re-Poll Schedule and Counting
Re-polling will be conducted on 16 September between 7 am and 6 pm. Counting of votes cast during the re-poll will commence on 17 September from 8 am at designated counting centres.
Contesting candidates and their election agents will be informed of the date, time, and location in writing. Voter awareness will be ensured through extensive publicity, with notices posted at municipality offices, polling stations, and other prominent locations within the respective Assembly constituencies.
Voter Eligibility and Procedural Safeguards
Only voters whose names appear on the electoral roll of the concerned polling station will be eligible to participate in the re-poll. To prevent duplicate voting, the indelible ink mark placed on the left-hand middle finger during the original poll will be removed before fresh ink is applied — from the base of the nail to the first joint of the finger.
If required, ballot papers and tendered ballot papers linked to the EVMs will be prepared afresh. The Commission has further directed that EVMs used during the original polling be sealed and kept in safe custody following the re-poll.
What Happens Next
State Election Commission officials have instructed all concerned officers to ensure necessary arrangements are completed in a timely manner ahead of the 16 September re-poll. The outcome of counting on 17 September will determine the final results at the affected wards. This development underscores ongoing concerns about EVM reliability in local body elections — a subject that has drawn periodic scrutiny from opposition parties and civil society groups across India.
Point of View
But it also highlights a persistent vulnerability in EVM-dependent local body elections: a single machine failure can unravel weeks of campaigning and delay governance at the ward level. Rajasthan is not an outlier — EVM snags in urban local body polls have triggered re-polls in multiple states in recent cycles. The more pointed question is whether the Election Commission's pre-poll EVM testing and mock-poll protocols are rigorous enough for simultaneous multi-booth urban elections, where machine loads and logistical chains are complex. Accountability for why these units malfunctioned — and whether the failures were random or concentrated in specific wards — deserves a fuller public accounting before the re-poll results are certified.
NationPress
14 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has re-polling been ordered in Rajasthan civic elections?
The Rajasthan State Election Commission ordered re-polling because EVM technical malfunctions at select polling stations caused the number of potentially affected votes to exceed the margin between the closest rival candidates. The Commission reviewed reports from District Election Officers and Returning Officers before taking the decision.
When and where will the re-polling take place?
Re-polling will be held on 16 September 2026 from 7 am to 6 pm at affected booths in Jaipur Municipal Corporation (5 booths), Jodhpur Municipal Corporation (1 booth), Kota Municipal Corporation (3 booths), and Suket Municipality (1 booth). Counting of re-poll votes will begin on 17 September at 8 am.
Who is eligible to vote in the re-poll?
Only voters whose names appear on the electoral roll of the specific polling station ordered for re-polling are eligible to vote. Fresh indelible ink will be applied after removing the mark left during the original poll.
What happens to the original EVMs used during the first poll?
The Rajasthan State Election Commission has directed that all EVMs used during the original polling at the affected booths be sealed and kept in safe custody after the re-poll is conducted.
How will voters be informed about the re-poll?
Contesting candidates and their election agents will be informed in writing. Voters will be reached through extensive publicity campaigns, and notices will be displayed at municipality offices, the concerned polling stations, and other prominent locations within the respective Assembly constituencies.
