The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have begun, with voting starting at 7 a.m. on April 23, 2026. More than 5.73 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots for 4,023 candidates across 234 constituencies. The primary contest is between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, and the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), represented by Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik confirmed that the state is well-prepared for the elections, which include 14,59,039 first-time voters. The election authorities have implemented strict measures to prevent voter inducements and misinformation, having issued 243 rebuttals during the campaign. Additionally, 34 delegates from 17 countries are in Tamil Nadu to observe the electoral process as part of the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) 2026.