Gasa dzongkhag administration deployed polling officials to the three polling stations in Lunana on October 8 using a chopper.

Gasa dzongdag Dorji Dhradhul said the chopper made three trips to ferry the polling and presiding officials, the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and EVM security officials.

He explained that the dzongkhag had to send the polling officials a week ahead of poll day because the weather could pose risk. “Unlike the National Council election, the security officials walked to Lunana this time.”

Lunana is officially eight days walk from the dzongkhag headquarters and in winter and spring, the passes are covered under snow, making it impossible to commute. “Right now, the passes are open,” the dzongdag, said.

Like in the past elections, the dzongkhag office will also pay Nu 2,000 each to the 25 voters in Isuna, who will have to walk to Rekashong, which is officially two days walk from their village for the general round.

Meanwhile, the cost of one vote in Gasa dzongkhag that has the least registered voters in the country was about Nu 600 in the primary round. The dzongkhag election office spent more than Nu 1.26 million (M).

The expenses exclude the expense of returning officers and national observers on duty and the amount candidates of four political parties spent during the campaign in the primary round of the election.

The office spent Nu 466, 544 to meet the daily allowance of the polling officials deployed in the 12 polling stations and postal ballot facilitation booths in the dzongkhag.

More than 40 polling officials were on duty at 12 polling stations located in two constituencies of Khatoed-Laya and Khamed-Lunana in Gasa that has 2,064 registered voters.

The dzongkhag election office spent the highest of Nu 561,181 for three trips of helicopter services it used to reach the polling officials to Lunana gewog that has more than 500 voters.

The registered voters are 64 more than the voters for the national council election held earlier in April this year.

Tashi Dema and Nima