The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) would like to inform the General Public that pursuant to Notification ECB/NOTIF/-01/2018/365 dated 18th of August 2018 a total of 2055 changes to Postal Ballot Registration were made as of 24th of September 2018 in the 20 Dzongkhags for the ongoing General Elections. These included changes to vote in person at the designated Polling Station; at different Postal Ballot Facilitation Booths; changing Postal Ballot option or updating of the Postal Addresses.
The general public may like to note that a total of 110,538 Postal Ballot Packages from the total 133,795 Registered Postal Voters were received by Returning Officers for the Primary Round of the National Assembly Election 2018. This means that a total of 23,257 postal voters did not turn up at the Postal Ballot Facilitation Booths or did not return the Postal Ballots or posted the Ballot too late to the Returning Officer.
Specifically 170 Postal Ballots have been received by Bhutan Post after the Primary Round Poll day. The Election Commission earnestly requests the concerned Postal Voters to send back the marked Postal Ballot to your Returning Officer at the earliest and those registered for the Facilitation Booths to turn up, without fail, on 10th, 11th and 12th of October 2018, anytime between 9am to 7pm.
Out of the total 110,538 Postal Ballots received, a total of only 1,234 were rejected due mostly to no Identity Declaration Certificate (IDC) being enclosed by the Conventional Postal Voters and missing or wrong details in the IDC and another 724 were rejected during counting on the grounds of being unmarked Ballots or multiple marking on Ballots without indication of clear choice. The Election Commission urges all conventional postal voters to pay attention while filling the IDC which requires only the bare minimum information and to enclose it after signing in the Envelope A, not in the Envelope B.
Released for public information.
Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan
