As the 2026 Assembly elections approach, residents of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, who are registered to vote in other states, are preparing for long journeys back home. Anwar M.P., general secretary of the Confederation of Tamilnadu Malayalee Associations, is among those booking train tickets to his hometown in Kannur district, Kerala. Many Tamil Nadu residents with roots in other states are meticulously planning their travel, particularly to Kerala and Assam, where significant numbers of voters reside. Local associations are advocating for the Tamil Nadu government and Southern Railway to increase train services to accommodate the surge in demand. Anwar noted that while special trains are often announced during election season, the timing is frequently too late to be effective, leading to stress for those trying to secure travel. The Tamil Nadu Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department has mandated that employers grant paid holidays to workers to enable them to vote in their home states. Additionally, a trend of group travel, referred to as “vote vandi” (vote bus), is emerging, where voters pool resources to hire vehicles for the journey home. Community leaders, like Tarun Kumar Das from the Bengal Association, are also mobilizing voters to ensure they can participate in the elections. With the combination of upcoming holidays and elections, the demand for travel is expected to be high.