EC directs ROs to prepare list of polls officials by Nov 22
The Election Commission has directed all returning officers to prepare the panel of presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and polling officers by November 22, ahead of the upcoming national polls.
From this panel, the returning officers themselves will appoint the polling officials who will discharge their duties during the polls slated for January 7.
EC, in a circular issued on Thursday night, asked the 66 returning officers to hold the elections for the 300 seats in line with The Representation of the People Order, 1972.
Returning officers will need to send the panel to the EC within a week after the announcement of the election schedule that took place on November 15.
Through a written notice, heads of all government and non-government offices, institutions, and establishments will have to provide the returning officers with a list of their employees, as the returning officers will choose from them to form a panel of presiding, assistant presiding, and polling officers.
The EC made the decision to appoint people to those positions through returning officers, although Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman was in favour of appointing them through a committee consisting of local administration and police representatives, said EC sources.
The four other commissioners were in favour of giving the responsibility to returning officers in line with the Representation of the People Order-1972, the sources added.
This time, the EC will need to appoint over 42,100 presiding officers, one for each polling centre, 2.62 lakh assistant presiding officers, one for each polling booth, and 5.24 lakh polling officers, two for each polling booth.
In the same circular, the commission asked the returning officers to prepare the list of polling centres by December 12, as it will need to finalise those by the next day.
In September, the EC prepared a primary list showing that it would have to set up a record 42,100 polling centres for the upcoming election.
The EC made major changes to guidelines for selecting polling centres for this election, including a provision for involving the local administration and police in the selection process.
The polling centres in the last several national polls were selected by the commission officials.
In the last national election held in December 2018, there were 40,199 polling centres.
There were 37,708 polling centres in 2014 general election; 35,263 in 2008; 29,978 in 2001; 25,952 in 1996 June polls; 24,154 in 1991; 22,393 in 1988; 23,279 in 1986; 21,905 in 1979 polls; and 15,084 in 1973 polls.
The EC also sought applications from entitled voters who want to vote by postal ballot by November 30.
According to the electoral law, people tasked with polling duties, government employees who live elsewhere for job postings, prisoners, and expatriate voters are eligible to use postal ballots.
The commission also instructed the relevant authorities not to transfer the divisional commissioner, metropolitan police commissioner, deputy commissioner, superintendent of police, or officers subordinate to any of them, as well as polling officials, to any place without consulting the commission.
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