If candidate list changes from 8 February, postal ballots for that seat will be void: EC
It also directed returning officers to separately preserve cancelled postal ballots.
The Election Commission (EC) has decided that postal ballots for any constituency will be cancelled if a candidate is reinstated by court order and joins the race from 8 February onward.
The directive comes amid increasing complexities in postal ballot management after multiple candidates have regained their eligibility following court rulings ahead of the 12 February 13th National Parliament election.
A special updated circular regarding postal ballot counting was issued on Thursday (30 January), sent to all returning officers by EC Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monir Hossain.
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The circular states that postal ballots will not be included in counting if they fail to reach the returning officer before the start of the ballot counting for the constituency.
It also clarifies that under Section 27(10)(3) of the Representation of the People Order, if the candidate list of any constituency changes by court order within the "relevant time," all postal ballots for that constituency will be rendered invalid.
The EC has defined "relevant time" as a total of five days, including the polling day and the preceding four days. For the upcoming election on 12 February, this period begins on 8 February.
The circular instructs returning officers that any postal ballots cancelled due to candidate list changes must be separately preserved, as duplicate QR codes and unscanned envelopes can render ballots invalid. The total number of such cancelled ballots must also be recorded and reported.
The 12 February polls will be held for the 13th National Parliament and the national referendum, as scheduled.
