Only final candidates and their symbols to appear on domestic postal ballots: EC
The move marks a shift from the commission’s earlier position that postal ballots for voters both at home and abroad would carry all symbols approved by the EC
The Election Commission (EC) has revised the format of postal ballots to be used within the country, deciding that only the final contesting candidates of a constituency and their symbols will appear on the ballot paper.
The move marks a shift from the commission's earlier position that postal ballots for voters both at home and abroad would carry all symbols approved by the commission.
The commission issued a circular to returning officers on 19 January, outlining the changes.
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Under the revised system, postal ballots for expatriate voters under the Out of Country Voting (OCV) scheme will continue to display all symbols reserved by registered political parties and independent candidates, without listing candidate names. Voters will mark their choice by ticking or crossing the blank space beside the relevant symbol.
However, for voters within the country using the In Country Postal Voting (ICPV) system, the ballot will now resemble a standard ballot paper. It will include only the names and symbols of the final contesting candidates in the relevant constituency, along with a blank space for marking the vote.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told The Business Standard that the design of the domestic postal ballot is being changed to simplify the process.
"The postal ballot used within the country will be like a normal ballot paper. Only the final candidates and their symbols for the concerned constituency will be printed."
A total of 1,533,682 voters – both at home and abroad – have registered to vote by postal ballot in the upcoming 13th National Parliament election and referendum. Registration through the 'Postal Vote BD' mobile app ended at midnight on 5 January. Bangladeshi voters living abroad are registered under OCV, while those within the country fall under ICPV.
Through the app, expatriate voters, election officials, government employees posted outside their constituencies and voters in legal custody have been allowed to register for postal voting.
The change follows demands from the BNP, which had urged the EC to include only the final candidates and their symbols on in-country postal ballots. A BNP delegation recently met the commission, expressing concerns that the earlier format was overly complex and could create confusion.
After meeting the chief election commissioner, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party believed the existing postal ballot design was flawed.
"There has been bias and an attempt to give special advantage to one party. We have called on the Election Commission to change it," he told reporters.
