Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) has asked the returning officers (RO) to accept postal ballots even after 5pm as some ballots might reach the post office late because of the road conditions yesterday.

The three constituencies in Pemagatshel received 9,975 postal ballots, 5,299 male and 4,676 female by 5pm yesterday.

The office of the RO at Nganglam received 1,950 ballots from the postal ballot facilitation booths and 517 conventional postal ballots. While opening the envelope A, the office rejected 32 envelopes, 27 male and five female.

Of the 1,950 ballots from the facilitation booths, three envelope A were rejected for two male and one female voter while 29 conventional ballots, 25 male and four female were rejected.

Officials from the RO office said that envelope As were rejected due to disclosure of party’s name on the identity declaration certificate (IDC), ballot paper in envelope A and absence of signatures of the voter and witness among others.

The RO office in Nanong-Shumar demkhong received 3,298 postal ballots, which include 2,510, 1,163 male and 1,347 female ballots from postal ballot facilitation booths. The office rejected 12, two male and 10 female facilitation envelope A and five conventional.

RO Sonam Bumtap said the reason for the rejection of the envelope As were non-declaration of citizen identity number and name of the demkhongs in the IDC among others. The ECB has issued 831 conventional postal ballots for this demkhong.

“The office of the RO also received seven ballots from facilitation booths of Nganglam demkhong and one conventional postal ballot of Khar-Yurung demkhong which we have redirected to the respective demkhongs,” Sonam Bumtap said.

Meanwhile, the office of the RO of Khar-Yurung demkhong received 1,061 conventional postal ballots, which include 814 male and 247 female and 3,149 ballots from the postal ballot facilitation booths yesterday.

The dzongkhag has about 26,141 eligible registered voters, 12,700 male and 13,441 female.

Kelzang Wangchuk | Nganglam

Advertisement