Explainer: What is a proxy vote and how does it work

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah today (11 March) said proxy voting has been recommended for expatriate voters in the upcoming national parliamentary elections.

Speaking to journalists, he said, "If we want to fulfil the expectations of expatriate voters for the upcoming elections, we have to move towards proxy voting."

But what is a proxy vote, and how does it work? 

A proxy vote is a ballot cast by one person on behalf of another.

Currently, there are over 123 million voters in Bangladesh, with an additional three million expected to be added within June.

But there are also 10 million Bangladeshis who live abroad, with many unable to vote. 

EC recommends proxy voting for expatriates

While more than 100 countries and territories around the world now provide some form of voting rights to their expatriates, Bangladeshi expatriates are yet to get the right to vote.

Postal voting is already available, but only for government officials on duty, both at home and abroad.

This is where proxy voting comes in.

This is typically used when the voter cannot physically attend the polling station due to reasons like illness, disability, being overseas, or other valid circumstances.

Is it used elsewhere?

Proxy voting has been applied in different countries around the world.

In the United Kingdom, voters can apply for proxy voting if they are away on election day, have a medical issue, or face unforeseen work commitments.

Some provinces in Canada also allow for proxy voting, while in the US, while there isn't proxy voting, there is absentee voting (mail-in ballots), which functions similarly.

Closer to home, India has used proxy voting, but it is reserved mainly for military personnel and government officials serving overseas.

The most comparable situation to Bangladesh is perhaps Australia, which limits proxy voting for overseas voters under specific conditions.

How does it generally work?

For proxy voting, a voter has to generally apply in advance and often requires official approval. 

A trusted proxy is then assigned to cast the vote. 

Finally, the proxy must follow guidelines. 

There are, however, some challenges with the system.

The potential for fraud or undue influence isn't regulated properly, while there are also verification challenges in terms of the original voter's desires and whether those were met. 

Some countries limit who can be a proxy to close relatives or legal representatives to circumvent the challenges.