Postal voting: Highest 16038 in Feni-3, lowest 1544 in Bagerhat-3

Postal voting registrations for the upcoming 13th national election and referendum have shown constituency-level disparities, indicating differences in voter participation, overseas migration trends, and the likely impact of the new voting system on the final election result.

According to the Election Commission (EC), Feni-3 emerged as the constituency with the highest number of approved postal voters-16, 038, while Bagerhat-3 stood at the bottom with only 1,544 registrations. The gap underscores imbalanced participation across regions, particularly between areas with large expatriate populations and those without.

Analysing the EC data, it was found that 18 out of 300 constituencies recorded more than 10,000 registered postal voters. Except for Sylhet-1, all of them are located in the Chattogram Division, a region long known for its high rate of overseas migration, especially to the Middle East.

In total, 1,533,684 voters registered to cast ballots via postal voting, both domestically and from abroad, before the deadline closed on 5 January. 

Of them, the EC approved 1,528,131 registrations. Expatriate voters accounted for 772,546 approvals under the Out of Country Voting (OCV) system, while 761,138 voters were approved under In-Country Postal Voting (ICPV).

Contacted Salim Ahmad Khan, team leader of the 'OCV' project regarding expatriate voter registration, said that by 11 am today (2 February), out of the registrants on the mobile app, 766,862 ballots had reached the expatriates.

Among them, 522,315 expatriate voters have received their ballots, and 464,225 have completed voting. Moreover, 418,962 expatriate voters have submitted their ballots to the post office or mailbox from their respective countries, he said, adding that the 1,859 ballots have so far reached returning officers in Bangladesh through official postal channels.

Feni-3, which includes Daganbhuiyan and Sonagazi upazilas, shows the concentration of expatriate participation. Of its 16,038 registered postal voters, 12,536 are expatriates, compared to a total voter base of over 503,000. 

Similar trends are seen in Chattogram-15, Cumilla-10, Noakhali-1, and several other constituencies, where expatriate voters make up the majority of postal registrations.

Regarding the political impact of postal votes, Dr Md Abdul Alim, a former member of the election system reform commission, told The Business Standard that postal ballots are unlikely to move in favour of any single party or symbol.

"These voters are not a huge bloc," he said, adding that overall turnout from in-country voters would remain the decisive factor. 

Abdul Alim also noted that not all approved postal voters may ultimately return their ballots within the stipulated time.

The EC has made it clear that only postal ballots received by returning officers by 4:30 pm on election day, 12 February, will be included in the count. Ballots arriving after the deadline will be excluded, potentially reducing the final impact of postal voting, particularly for overseas voters.

Meanwhile, the EC has revised ballot design rules for in-country postal voting, limiting symbols to only the final candidates contesting in each constituency. 

As the national election and the referendum approach, nearly 2,000 candidates, including more than 250 independents, are vying in the election across the country.

Fifty-one out of the registered 59 political parties are in the race with their electoral symbols.