With polling just days away, election campaigning has hit its frenzied final stretch — and for thousands working in informal sector, that means a rare and welcome windfall.Printing units are running round the clock. Poster printers, flex board manufacturers and banner makers report a sharp spike in last-minute bulk orders, often from individual boothlevel campaigns in smaller wards. “This is our peak time. Margins are better than regular business and we’re working overnight,” said Akbar Shah of Ultra Flex in Balaramapuram, Thiruvananthapuram. A mediumsized press can earn between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 10 lakh in the final two weeks alone. Even smaller neighbourhood presses—which typically struggle during off-seasons—are pulling in Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh within just a few days.Stage contractors and sound system operators are equally stretched, with political rallies and corner meetings lined up back-to-back every evening. “We barely get time to shift equipment between venues,” said Sunil Kumar of Friends Light and House, Sreekaryam. Daily earnings in this final phase can touch Rs 15,000–Rs 25,000, nearly double the usual rate.Vehicle owners are also cashing in. Jeeps with loudspeakers and SUVs for roadshows are in high demand, fetching daily rentals of Rs 2,000 for smaller vehicles and upwards of Rs 6,000 for premium ones, with fuel costs typically covered separately. Catering units are processing orders of over 1,000 meal packets per event as campaign gatherings stretch late into the night.Yet the boom carries real risks. Vendors are wary of payment defaults once polling ends. “Most work is done on verbal assurances, while small units buy raw materials on credit,” said Sanjay Panicker, State General Secretary of the Sign Printing Industries Association, Kochi. Some candidates have previously failed to settle dues, leaving smaller vendors with significant losses. Printers in Ettumanoor now insist on advance payments following a painful experience when a candidate withdrew mid-campaign.Despite these concerns, the mood remains cautiously optimistic.