10 Percent of 80% Postal Ballots Rejected

A total of 80.11 percent of registered voters cast their votes through postal ballots in the referendum and the 13th National Parliamentary Election, according to the Election Commission (EC). Of these, 70.25 percent were declared valid votes.

EC officials disclosed the information on Thursday night, February 12. The Commission stated that postal ballots received until 4:30 pm on Thursday were accepted. Earlier, the EC had noted that some votes were rejected due to the absence of voter signatures, failure to attach the required declaration form, and non-compliance with prescribed procedures.

According to EC sources, 767,233 expatriates registered from abroad to cast their votes through the IT-supported postal ballot system. Additionally, 760,898 individuals within the country—including government employees, members of law enforcement agencies, and inmates—registered for postal voting. Altogether, 1,528,131 voters registered through the Postal Vote BD app.

Among the registered voters, 544,372 expatriates cast their votes from abroad, while 679,816 voters participated from within the country. In total, 1,224,188 votes were cast, representing 80.11 percent of the total registered voters.

Of these, Returning Officers received 498,204 votes sent from abroad and 668,388 votes sent from within the country. Overall, 1,165,592 ballots reached the Returning Officers, accounting for 76.28 percent of total registrations.

Among the ballots received by Returning Officers, 471,973 votes from abroad and 601,524 votes from within the country were declared valid. In total, 1,073,497 votes were validated, representing 70.25 percent of total registrations.

The Election Commission stated that the postal voting process was conducted under close monitoring to ensure transparency and adherence to electoral guidelines.

DBTech/DH/MUM/OR