CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned 1,249 additional posts on a redeployment basis across election administration offices to strengthen the machinery for the forthcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, as preparations gather momentum ahead of the polling schedule.
The additional staff will be deployed in the offices of District Election Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) and Returning Officers, primarily on a redeployment basis, to ensure smooth execution of election-related activities.
According to a Government Order (GO) issued by Chief Electoral Officer and principal secretary to government Archana Patnaik, the decision comes in view of the extensive groundwork required for the elections, including the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls for 2026 and other preparatory exercises at the field level.
The GO said the additional manpower would help handle critical tasks such as identification of sensitive polling booths, enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, expenditure monitoring, polling personnel training and voter awareness initiatives under the SVEEP programme.
The order noted that election-related workload would rise significantly from the date of announcement of the poll schedule until the declaration of results and formation of the new Assembly, necessitating temporary strengthening of the administrative set-up.
The sanctioned posts include Deputy Tahsildars, Assistants, Junior Assistants, Steno-Typists, Record Clerks and Office Assistants, besides staff for collectors’ offices, returning officers and electoral registration offices.
Notably, each Returning Officer for the State’s 234 Assembly constituencies will be provided an Assistant, while additional personnel will be deployed across district collectors’ offices and revenue divisional offices to manage election logistics and reporting requirements.
The GO stated that the expenditure towards salaries and contract staff will be met under the State’s election expenditure head, with the Finance department granting concurrence for the proposal on February 27.