KOCHI: At 92, Nedungadan Ouseph George is unlikely to break a lifelong habit. Ever since he became eligible to vote, he has turned up at the polling booth without fail — a ritual that has spanned decades of Kerala’s political churn.
A resident of Gandhi Nagar in the Ernakulam assembly constituency, George still carries the fading ink mark from the 2025 local body polls on his finger — both a reminder and a statement of intent. Despite being eligible for home voting, he politely declined the offer conveyed through the ward’s ASHA worker. His plan: walk to the polling booth on April 9 and vote, just as he always has.
Meanwhile, 111-year-old Janaki of Vattakulam house at Cherukunnu in Thrissur’s Puthur has opted for home voting for the first time. Her grandson, Surabhi Das, told TNIE that she went to the polling booth in the local body polls in December. A former coir worker, Janaki has witnessed active politics and trade union movements firsthand, and her spirit, Das says, remains intact.
George and Janaki are among the over 55,000 voters aged 90 and above who figure in the electoral rolls for Kerala’s assembly elections. Their presence underlines a distinctive feature of the state’s demographic profile — a rapidly ageing yet politically engaged population.
What is striking is not just the numbers, but the spread within them. As many as 1,501 voters fall in the 100–109 age group, while 54 are between 110 and 119 years old. In an election often dominated by first-time voters and youth outreach campaigns, this segment stands out for its consistency and quiet determination.
22% of Kerala to be above 60 in 10 years, says RBI report
Geromic George, additional chief electoral officer (CEO), says an optional home-voting facility has been introduced for voters aged above 85 and persons with disabilities (PwDs) identified in the electoral rolls. They can cast their ballot through the postal system, provided they apply to their respective returning officer within five days from the date of notification.
“As per the approved list, around 1.4 lakh people in the absentee voter category for senior citizens are eligible for home voting. We have deployed 2,548 polling teams across 14 districts, and they will complete the process within five to six days. Elderly citizens wishing to visit booths can seek assistance through the Sakshyam app. Facilities, including wheelchairs, will be provided,” he tells TNIE.
P S Nair of the International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMAD) says the trend is hardly surprising and is only set to grow in the coming years. Kerala has long been known for its high life expectancy and favourable health indicators, he says. “The proportion of people above 90, relative to the population, could well be the highest in Kerala,” says the former director of Population Research Centre at the University of Kerala.
Interestingly, Nair believes the figures given by the EC appear to be gross underestimates. The EC may have excluded the SIR, institutionalised persons and untraceable persons, he opines.
An RBI report, ‘A Study of Budgets of 2025-26 - Demographic Transition in India: Implications for State Finances’, says by 2036, more than half of the states are projected to transition into ageing category (above 60), with Kerala leading with more than 22% of its population as elderly.
62.91l between 60 & 89 years
As per the latest assembly electoral roll, Kerala has 62,91,860 voters aged between 60 and 89 years. They include 13 third gender voters