Kerala’s special elections for three local body wards will take place on January 13, the State Election Commissioner A. Shajahan announced on Tuesday. The votes will be counted the next day, January 14. The election notification will be issued on Wednesday. The polls are for Payimbadam ward in Moothedam grama panchayat (Malappuram district), Onakkoor ward in Pambakkuda grama panchayat (Ernakulam), and Vizhinjam ward of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Previous elections in these wards were postponed due to the death of candidates. Nomination papers can be filed by December 24, with scrutiny set for December 26. The last date to withdraw nominations is December 29. The commission clarified that candidates who had already filed nominations do not need to file again. Although the model code of conduct was lifted in Kerala on December 15, it remains active in Moothedam and Pambakkuda panchayats and in Vizhinjam ward boundaries during this election period.