About 350 officials are deputed in Samtse’s 68 polling stations for the primary round of the third parliamentary election.

There are four constituencies in Samtse.

Returning officers (RO) from all four constituencies said they are well prepared.

According to Samtse’s election officer, Tshering Phuntsho, preparations at the polling stations were all set and ready by yesterday 2pm.

“This time we don’t have assistant polling officers.”

At the returning officer’s office at Tashichhoeling constituency, officials were also busy opening the envelope A of the postal ballots yesterday.

Some postal ballots that were not signed, did not have the witness of the competent person and that did not have citizenship identity declaration certificate (IDCs) were rejected in front of the party representatives.

A total of 79 conventional postal ballots were rejected at the four constituencies.

Four postal ballots from facilitation booth were rejected from Tashichhoeling, Yoeseltse-Ugyense, and Phuentshopelri-Samtse.

No facilitation booth ballots were rejected in Dophuchen-Tading constituency.

Tashichhoeling returning officer (RO), Nima Tshering, said 25 conventional ballots were rejected in the constituency while only two facilitation booth ballots were rejected.

Tashichhoeling had received 2,093 postal ballots.

The RO of Phuentshopelri-Samtse, Lotay Tenzin, said his constituency received a total of 1,489 postal ballots that include ballots from both facilitation booth and conventional postal ballots.

One postal ballot from facilitation booth and seven from the conventional postal ballots were rejected.

Yoeseltse-Ugyentse RO, Karma Tenzin, said his constituency had received about 1,795 postal ballots of which 27 conventional ballots and one facilitation booth ballot was rejected.

Dophuchen-Tading RO, Karma Loday, said the demkhong had received a total of 2,024 postal ballots. About 20 conventional postal ballots were rejected and no facilitation booth postal ballot was rejected.

Samtse is considered the most important dzongkhag considering the 47,360 registered voters.

Dophuchen-Tading has 13,231 registered voters, the highest of the four constituencies in the dzongkhag, followed by 12,966 registered voters in Tashichhoeling constituency.

Phuentshopelri-Samtse constituency has 10,806 registered voters and Yoeseltse-Ugyentse 10,357 registered voters.

Rajesh Rai | Sipsu

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