According to a press note issued by the Commission on February 18, 2026, the election process will commence with the issuance of notifications on February 26.
The last date for filing nominations is March 5, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on March 6. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until March 9.
Polling will be held on March 16 between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, and counting of votes will begin at 5:00 pm on the same day. The entire election process is scheduled to be completed before March 20, 2026.
The elections are being conducted as the terms of 37 Rajya Sabha members from 10 states are set to expire in April 2026.
As per the annexure released by the Commission, of the 37 seats falling vacant, seven are from Maharashtra, three from Odisha, six each from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, including one vacancy in West Bengal effective January 5, 2026, three from Assam, four from Bihar, two from Chhattisgarh, and one seat each from Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, along with two seats from Telangana.The Commission also directed that only integrated violet colour sketch pens of pre-fixed specification, supplied by the Returning Officer, shall be used by electors for marking preferences on ballot papers to ensure uniformity in the voting process.
Adequate measures, including the appointment of observers, will be undertaken to ensure that the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner, the Commission said.