The Election Commission has made a new policy for the determination of polling stations ahead of the upcoming national parliamentary election.
The EC's exclusive power to set up polling stations has been curtailed under the new policy.
Local administrations are being involved in setting up polling stations. The new policy will reduce the number of polling stations in the parliamentary elections, according to the information of the sources of the commission.
The policy was finalized in the commission meeting held at Agargaon Nirbachan Bhaban on Thursday.
In the polling station establishment and management policy, the power to decide which institution will be a polling station, has been given to politicians, local administration and police administration.
At the same time, the EC's obligation to maintain the polling stations of the previous elections has also been withdrawn.
Earlier, a committee led by Election Commissioner Anishur Rahman drafted the policy.
The 12th national parliament election will be held in December this year or next January. This policy has been prepared keeping in mind that election.
In the light of this policy, polling stations will be set up in the next parliamentary elections.
According to Article 8 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972 (RPO), the EC has the power to determine a list of polling stations for the purpose of national elections. Until now, election officials used to determine the polling stations on behalf of the commission. The draft list of polling stations fixed by the EC officials was sent to the EC through the returning officer. Later, a gazette was published.
If the new policy comes into effect, EC officials will not have the sole power to determine polling stations. Polling stations will be finalized on the recommendation of a committee led by the local administration.
How polling stations will be determined
It is known that in the previous elections, the EC's own officials worked to determine the polling stations. Now there will be new rules. In the policy, the polling station determination process is divided into two parts – metropolitan or district level and upazila level. There will be a seven-member committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner to determine polling stations at the metropolitan and district levels.
The members of the committee are representative of the Divisional Commissioner, Superintendent of Police (SP), representative of the metropolitan police concerned, District Education Officer and District Primary Education Officer.
The district election officer will serve as member secretary in this committee while the Upazila Nirbahi officer(UNO) will head the upazila-level polling station selection committee.
The members of the committee are – Upazila Education Officer, Upazila Secondary Education Officer and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the police station. The upazila election officer will be the member secretary of this committee.
The policy mentions the polling station selection process: Upazila or Thana Election Officer will present the draft list of polling stations to the upazila committee.The polling station draft will be finalized based on the opinions of all the committee members. The upazila election officer will send the draft to the district election officer.
Then the district election officer will present the list in the district and metropolitan committee meeting.
The members of the committee will give their opinion in the same process. If necessary, they will visit the field. In this way, the list of polling stations will be prepared.
Polling stations of last election could be changed
The EC's existing policy provides for the retention of the previous polling stations unless they are lost due to river erosion or any other reason. However, that provision has been removed in the new policy.
It has been asked to change the authority on polling stations considering the transportation and infrastructural facilities there. In this case, the polling stations will be determined based on discussions with local dignitaries and political leaders.
The policy states that the change has been made since many new educational institutions and establishments have already been built after the last parliamentary election.
In addition, many old structures have been renovated, or new structures have been built nearby.
In the setting up of polling stations, the new location may be decided for the polling stations considering the convenience of voting.
However, the policy also asks to be alert when setting up centres in establishments and institutions which were vulnerable in previous elections or the centres are under influence of a potential candidate.
Sources also said that the policy mentions discussing it with local dignitaries and political leaders before setting up a new polling station.
However, as far as possible, polling stations should not be set up in institutions named after people associated with politics, according to the policy. It has been asked to give importance to the availability of a transportation system and a security guard in that institution.
Confirming the finalization of the policy for the establishment of polling stations in the national elections, Commissioner Md Alamgir said: "This policy has been made completely new by cancelling the previous policy."
He said that the polling station will be set up under the leadership of UNO, the administrative head of the upazila level. The education officer is aware of the location of the educational institutions, the condition of the infrastructure and the traffic. And the local police administration can tell the law and order situation there. For this reason, a committee will be formed to establish centres in the national elections involving all of them.
Even if the committee drafts, it will be finalized by the concerned returning officer. Once the returning officer finalizes it, the draft will be sent to the EC. Then, a gazette notification will be issued.
Md Alamgir said: "If the polling stations are determined in light of the new policy, the polling stations will be reduced in the national elections."
Pointing out the need to reduce the number of polling stations, he said,: "It is not possible to deploy enough law enforcement members in the existing number of polling stations. In this case, if the centre decreases, the law and order forces can be deployed a little more.”
There were 40,183 polling stations in the 2018 parliamentary elections.
Rules included in the new policy
According to the Election Commission, the new policy calls for setting up a polling station for an average of 3,000 voters, and a polling room for an average of 500 male and 400 female voters.
However, it has been said to set up one polling booth for 400 male voters and 350 female voters in EVMs system.
It also stipulates ease of travel, distance between two centres not exceeding 3km and not setting up of one centre too close to another.
It has been said to consider the issue of law and order in setting up the centre.
The policy has been asked to be cautious in setting up polling stations in those centres where disturbances or electoral environment has been disrupted in the past elections or where there is a possibility of influence of a potential candidate.
If the centres used in the previous elections are unusable or do not have sufficient number of rooms or transportation facilities, polling stations are proposed to be set up in anticipated suitable facilities In this case, if necessary, it is mentioned to discuss with local public figures or political leaders.
It is mentioned in the policy that proposals can be made if a facility used in the previous elections is destroyed or unusable due to river erosion or any other reason. If the number of voters increases, then the centre should be set up in a new facility after discussing it with influential local public figures or political leaders.
Priority should be given to government buildings when setting up centres. Apart from educational institutions, polling stations can be set up in community centres, cyclone shelters and other office buildings run by government, semi-government and autonomous organizations.
Centres cannot be established in graveyards, crematoriums, market places, or narrow alleys.
There will be relaxation in the policy for setting up polling stations in lightly populated, remote hilly areas, char areas, and due to natural obstacles.
In establishing a temporary polling station, the rationale for setting up the polling station must be clearly stated and certified.
The policy should ensure that men and women enter and exit the polling booths separately. Elderly men and women, and physically challenged, third gender, pregnant women and mothers of lactating children should be given priority in casting their votes.
