Voting began slowly at 7 a.m. in Varkala municipality on Tuesday. By 8:15 a.m., only 6% of votes were cast, rising to 13% by 9:15 a.m. and crossing 20% just after 10 a.m. The pace increased steadily, passing 60% by 4 p.m. The final turnout was 66.39%, down from 71.23% in 2020. Kamala N.S., 78, proudly showed her inked finger after voting at Janardhanapuram Library in Perumkulam ward. She has been a regular voter for years and shared her experience with other voters at the polling station. This election features a tough three-cornered contest among CPI(M)-led LDF, Congress-led UDF, and BJP-led NDA. The number of wards increased to 34 after delimitation. CPI(M) contested 29 wards; CPI, 5. Congress fielded candidates in 33 wards; RSP got 1. BJP contested 34 wards; BDJS, 2. Rebel candidates appeared across all fronts due to seat-sharing conflicts. In 2020, LDF won 12 seats but lost ground since 2015. They kept power with help from three independents. UDF dropped to third with 7 seats. BJP climbed from 3 in 2015 to 11 in 2020, becoming the main opposition. K.M. Laji, former chairman and CPI(M) leader, said, "The development witnessed in the municipality over the past five years has been received well by the people." He expects the voting trend to favor the LDF even though he is not contesting this time. Among voters, Ambika, 52, was helped out of the Hospital ward polling station using a walker. She represents the elderly voter group asking for postal ballots, currently limited to election officials. A total of 127 candidates are fighting for seats in Varkala municipality this election. These local body polls cover seven southern Kerala districts in phase I of the 2025 elections.