EC Considers Expanding Voting Booths at Polling Stations

The Election Commission (EC) is exploring the possibility of increasing the number of private voting booths at polling stations as part of preparations for holding the national parliamentary election and a potential referendum on the same day. Preliminary assessments suggest that there may be no need to increase the overall number of polling stations; instead, providing two private booths within each existing voting compartment could be sufficient. However, further review and assessment are planned to ensure feasibility.

On Sunday afternoon, ahead of the upcoming elections, the EC held a preparatory meeting with senior officials from more than 30 ministries, departments, and agencies involved in election management. The meeting, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A. M. M. Nasir Uddin, also included four Election Commissioners. Following the meeting at the EC Secretariat, Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed briefed the media on the discussions.

Ahmed emphasised that the three priorities are: the national election, the potential referendum, and the inclusion of expatriate voters. “Every step must ensure quality and proper coordination between words and actions,” he said. “Lip service will not suffice. Effective collaboration among the Election Commission, field administration, and the judiciary is absolutely essential.”

The EC has so far designated 42,761 polling stations and 244,649 voting booths across the country for the upcoming national election. The question of whether the number of polling stations or booths should be increased if elections and referendum occur on the same day was discussed. Based on the results of a mock voting exercise conducted on Saturday, the EC believes that two private booths per existing voting compartment could prevent the need for additional polling stations.

When asked whether a single mock polling station could provide insights representative of the whole country, Ahmed acknowledged that this was not entirely possible. The exercise was conducted on flat terrain, which would not accurately reflect conditions in hilly or remote areas. The primary objective was to evaluate the time required for voting and whether additional polling stations would be necessary.

Ahmed also noted that infrastructure limitations might prevent all polling stations from accommodating two booths. In some locations, an additional booth may be required, while in others, three private booths could be implemented. This assessment will require further evaluation.

Other preparations include ensuring voter familiarity with referendum issues, expatriate voter registration, strict adherence to codes of conduct, preventing misuse of artificial intelligence, and focused voter training. Each ministry has been asked to designate a single point of contact for urgent communication. The EC is also considering additional allowances and financial incentives for polling officials to prevent undue influence from local power brokers.

Ballot papers for domestic voters will be printed at BG Press, while those for expatriate voters will be printed at the Army Security Printing Press under supervision from the Ministry of Public Administration. Law enforcement agencies have reported that overall law and order remains stable, though isolated incidents persist.

The EC has requested both state-owned and private television channels to intensify voter awareness campaigns relating to the election, the referendum, and expatriate voting to ensure broad outreach and public engagement.