"The Election Commission will report vote counts every two hours."

With just two days remaining until the 13th National Parliamentary Election on 12 February, the Election Commission (EC) has announced a new system to monitor voter turnout and the law-and-order situation at polling stations in real time. During polling, the EC will collect information on voter participation every two hours, alongside updates on security and electoral conditions. This data will be transmitted directly to the EC Secretariat from returning officers across the country.

The announcement was made through a circular signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Shahidul Islam on Monday. According to the circular, the reporting process will commence at 7:30 a.m. on polling day and will continue until preliminary private results are fully compiled and published. After voting concludes, presiding officers will submit detailed vote-count statements, which will then be used to generate and disseminate preliminary results from the designated data centres.

Collection of Preliminary Results

The circular specifies that officials responsible for reporting security situations and preliminary results must submit their contact information—including name, designation, mobile number, assigned area, and internal account or telephone numbers—to the EC in advance. Returning officers must be clearly identified before polling begins, indicating who will transmit vote counts and who will report on the law-and-order situation.

All systems, including internal accounts, email, internet connectivity, and intranet access, must be verified beforehand to ensure uninterrupted communication during polling.

Submission via Designated Message Sheets

Once polling concludes, preliminary results must be submitted through the EC Secretariat’s internal site using a designated “Message Transmission Sheet,” which requires the returning officer’s signature. If submission via the internal site is not possible, results may be sent by email. In exceptional circumstances, where the returning officer cannot sign, a district magistrate or authorised official may sign to send partial results. However, the final results must carry the returning officer’s signature and be uploaded to the Results Management System (RMS) according to standard procedures. Sample signatures from officials must be sent to the EC Secretariat by 10 February.

Results Management Process

The circular also outlines that the EC will use the Election Management System (EMS) module on its internal site to handle preliminary results for both the parliamentary election and the referendum. Trained staff will manage data entry and transmission. Each assistant returning officer will be assigned two data entry operators per polling centre, with laptops, scanners, printers, and internet connectivity ensured. Both mobile (Grameenphone and Teletalk SIM-based) and local ISP internet systems will be used to facilitate communication. Data entry operators will record results for both parliamentary and referendum votes simultaneously.

Key Polling Day Procedures

This comprehensive system aims to ensure transparency, accuracy, and timely dissemination of preliminary election data across the country, reinforcing public confidence in the electoral process.