The just-concluded Assembly elections in Kerala saw delegates from nine nations gaining a firsthand experience of the Indian electoral process.

Seventeen international delegates from Albania, Estonia, Fiji, Georgia, Kenya, Namibia, Samoa, Seychelles and Sierra Leone witnessed firsthand “the scale, precision, and vibrancy” of India’s electoral process during Kerala Legislative Elections, 2026, as part of Election Commission of India’s International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) 2026, the office of Chief Electoral officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar said. Ten delegates from Estonia, Fiji, Georgia, Namibia and Kenya visited Ernakulam district while seven delegates from Albania, Samoa, Seychelles and Sierra Leone visited Thiruvananthapuram during the elections.

Describing the experience as “a true festival of democracy,” delegates expressed admiration for the record voter participation, meticulous planning and seamless execution of polls by the EC, the CEO’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

Two-day visit

The international delegates began their two-day visit (on April 8 and 9) by touring the dispatch and distribution centres, where they had a chance to observe the movement of polling parties and election materials. The delegates interacted with Mr. Kelkar and the State Police Nodal Officer on the overall conduct of elections, as well as security arrangements.

On election day, they had an opportunity to observe the mock polls. Later, they toured polling stations in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram to witness the actual polling process.

The International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) is a flagship initiative of the EC aimed at fostering international cooperation and engagement with Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and international organisations. The programme provides a comprehensive overview of India’s electoral framework, institutional mechanisms, and operational architecture, while familiarising delegates with best practices and innovations in election management, the CEO’s office said.