UNB, Dhaka :
The 11th parliamentary elections are likely to have over 10.5 crore voters, according to an estimate made by the Election Commission (EC).
The EC says some 35 lakh people are likely to be enrolled in the electoral roll as fresh voters during the countrywide updating programme to be started on July 25 next.
With the 35 lakh possible voters, the total number of the country’s voters will rise to 10.53 crore from the existing 10.18 crore after the finalsation of the updated voter list on January 31, 2018.
The country had a total of 9,19,65,977 voters during the 10th national election held on January 5, 2014 while 8,10,87,003 during the 9th national election held on December 29, 2008.
“As per our estimate, some 35 lakh fresh voters will come out this year with a 3.5 percent growth. Among the country’s citizens born before or on January 1, 2000 can be voters this time,” said EC Secretary Muhammad Abdullah.
Any citizen, aged 18-plus but still remain out of voter list, can also be voter anytime throughout the year, he added.
EC officials said the annual voter growth is usually 2.5 percent, but this time it will be 3.5 percent as many youths aged to be 18 by January 1, 2018, did not include themselves as possible voters when the data of underage voters were collected in advance in 2015.
They said, the EC will not collect the data of possible voter going from door to door anymore ahead of the general election as it will remain busy with preparatory works throughout 2018 for the polls to be held in late December the same year.
The youths to be aged 18 by January 1 next can exercise their franchise in the next election by enrolling as voters.
Last year, enumerators did not go for door-to-door campaign as the EC in 2015 gathered the data of underage voters who will turn 18 by January 1, 2018. But, many youths remain out of the voter list. This is why the EC is going to collect the data of possible voter this time through a door-to-door campaign from July 25 to August 9.
Enumerators will collect the data of possible voters in three phases by August 9 next.
They will collect the data in 183 upazilas for 22 days in the first phase, while 216 upazilas for 28 days in the second phase and 118 upazilas for 21 days in the third phase.
The upazila election offices will receive applications for transferring voting addresses and drop dead people from the electoral rolls between November 25 and December 15.
The draft updated voter list will be published across the country on January 2 to receive complaints over it till January 17. And the final voter list will be published on January 31 next after disposing of complaints, if any.
The EC updated the country’s voter list through door-to-door data collection in 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015 after the first preparation of the electoral roll with photographs in 2007 by the army-backed caretaker government.
The country have a total of 10,18,43,667 voters, according to the latest updated voter list published on January 31, 2017 incorporating the names of those whose data were collected in advance in 2015.
During the 2015 updating programme, the EC estimated the voter growth will be 7.5 percent with the enrolment of underage voters. But, the growth rate was only 3.91 percent as many youths did not include themselves as voters at that time, EC officials said.
It will cost Tk 144 for the enrolment of each possible voter as the Commission estimated that some Tk 50.44 crore to be spent on updating the voter list this time.
The 11th parliamentary elections are likely to have over 10.5 crore voters, according to an estimate made by the Election Commission (EC).
The EC says some 35 lakh people are likely to be enrolled in the electoral roll as fresh voters during the countrywide updating programme to be started on July 25 next.
With the 35 lakh possible voters, the total number of the country’s voters will rise to 10.53 crore from the existing 10.18 crore after the finalsation of the updated voter list on January 31, 2018.
The country had a total of 9,19,65,977 voters during the 10th national election held on January 5, 2014 while 8,10,87,003 during the 9th national election held on December 29, 2008.
“As per our estimate, some 35 lakh fresh voters will come out this year with a 3.5 percent growth. Among the country’s citizens born before or on January 1, 2000 can be voters this time,” said EC Secretary Muhammad Abdullah.
Any citizen, aged 18-plus but still remain out of voter list, can also be voter anytime throughout the year, he added.
EC officials said the annual voter growth is usually 2.5 percent, but this time it will be 3.5 percent as many youths aged to be 18 by January 1, 2018, did not include themselves as possible voters when the data of underage voters were collected in advance in 2015.
They said, the EC will not collect the data of possible voter going from door to door anymore ahead of the general election as it will remain busy with preparatory works throughout 2018 for the polls to be held in late December the same year.
The youths to be aged 18 by January 1 next can exercise their franchise in the next election by enrolling as voters.
Last year, enumerators did not go for door-to-door campaign as the EC in 2015 gathered the data of underage voters who will turn 18 by January 1, 2018. But, many youths remain out of the voter list. This is why the EC is going to collect the data of possible voter this time through a door-to-door campaign from July 25 to August 9.
Enumerators will collect the data of possible voters in three phases by August 9 next.
They will collect the data in 183 upazilas for 22 days in the first phase, while 216 upazilas for 28 days in the second phase and 118 upazilas for 21 days in the third phase.
The upazila election offices will receive applications for transferring voting addresses and drop dead people from the electoral rolls between November 25 and December 15.
The draft updated voter list will be published across the country on January 2 to receive complaints over it till January 17. And the final voter list will be published on January 31 next after disposing of complaints, if any.
The EC updated the country’s voter list through door-to-door data collection in 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015 after the first preparation of the electoral roll with photographs in 2007 by the army-backed caretaker government.
The country have a total of 10,18,43,667 voters, according to the latest updated voter list published on January 31, 2017 incorporating the names of those whose data were collected in advance in 2015.
During the 2015 updating programme, the EC estimated the voter growth will be 7.5 percent with the enrolment of underage voters. But, the growth rate was only 3.91 percent as many youths did not include themselves as voters at that time, EC officials said.
It will cost Tk 144 for the enrolment of each possible voter as the Commission estimated that some Tk 50.44 crore to be spent on updating the voter list this time.
