Bangladesh
Jail | Vote Vote can be given from jail
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, 23 November 2023: The Election Commission Secretariat said that voting can be done even if detained in jail or any other legal custody. This vote can be given through postal ballot.
This information was informed in a circular signed by Election Commission (EC) Director Md. Shariful Alam on Tuesday. According to the EC, as per Section 27 of the Representation Order, 1972, persons whose names are included in the electoral roll can vote through postal ballot.
Postal ballots are those voters who are physically unable to go to the center to vote in person, and vote by first collecting ballot papers and sending them by post. The voter shall apply to the Returning Officer of his constituency for a ballot paper to vote by postal ballot. This application should be made within 10 days from the date of announcement of the schedule.
The application shall clearly mention the voter's name, address and his serial number in the electoral roll. The Returning Officer, on receipt of the voter's application, shall forthwith send the ballot paper and envelope to the voter by post. The envelope on which there will be a form of Certificate of Posting showing the date. Which will be filled by the appropriate officials of the post office while sending it by post.
According to the EC, after receiving the ballot paper, voter's vote should be recorded in the prescribed manner and the paper should be filled in the envelope and sent by post to the Returning Officer with minimum delay. After that, the results of the ballots received will be added to the original results and the final result will be declared.
According to the Election Commission, a Bangladeshi voter residing abroad can vote if a person is employed to perform election-related duties at a polling station other than the one where he is entitled to vote. In this regard, the EC has directed Bangladesh embassies abroad to provide necessary assistance.
