EC to start updating voter list from April 23

The Election Commission will start updating the voter list from April 23.

Representatives of the commission will go door to door in each constituency until May 13 to enlist new voters, EC Joint Secretary SM Asaduzzaman said after a meeting at Nirbachaon Bhaban today.

A draft of the updated voter list will be published on January 2 next year and it will be finalised on January 31, Asaduzzman said.

Currently, there are around 10.42 crore voters.

Data of the citizens who were born on or before January 1, 2001, 2002 and 2003 would be collected and they would be included in the list, Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam told The Daily Star.

He said that Election Commission secretariat has given the proposal to enlist voters who were born on or before January 1, 2004. “But we are yet to take the decision regarding the proposal,” he said.

People who changed their addresses will be able to change their address by filling up a specific form provided by Election Commission with their new address.

Rafiqul also said that the commission on principle took the decision that there will be no separate directorate for National Identity Card Wing.

“We are thinking to increase the manpower of NID wing to handle the smart NID and other services smoothly,” he added.

EC officials said that the commission also took a decision to use Electronic Voting Machines in all upcoming elections.

On December 30, EC used EVMs in six constituencies.

EVMs were also used in the elections to the 10 upazilas in the local government election.