Election Commission considers proxy voting for expatriate Bangladeshis

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Tuesday said the Election Commission is thinking about introducing a proxy voting system in a bid to ensure the franchise of expatriate Bangladeshis in the upcoming national election.

“In the next election, if we really want to fulfill the expectations and keep what the Chief Adviser (on December 16, 2024) said we want to fulfill the expectations of the expatriates; then we will have to go for proxy voting system… but the final decision depends on a consensus among political parties and other stakeholders,” he said while taking to reporters at Nirbachon Bhaban in the capital.

Sanaullah is the head of a committee formed by the Election Committee to examine the balloting systems to ensure the application of voting rights of the expatriate Bangladeshis.

He said that the Chief Adviser, in his address to the nation on December 16, specifically said that this time they want to ensure the votes of expatriate Bangladeshis. “This time, we want to implement, not just assure. We want to invent a reliable system,” the chief adviser was quoted as saying.

In light of the Chief Adviser, the Election Commission has given the responsibility to the concerned committee to submit a proposal in this regard, said the Election Commissioner.

“The Election Commission is making every effort to bring expatriate Bangladeshis under the voting system,” he said.

The committee examined three balloting systems for expatriates – postal balloting system, online balloting system and proxy balloting system.

About the postal system, he said, their (committee’s) finding is that the postal system is currently a dysfunctional system for expatriates. “That is why not a single vote was cast by an expatriate in the last 12th parliamentary elections. A total of 433 votes were cast from the people within Bangladesh,” he added.

About the online voting system, the Election Commissioner said online voting has not become very popular in different countries like the United States, the Philippines, Estonia and Mexico. “Besides, in our subcontinent, India, Pakistan and a few countries are piloting online systems.”

But during a discussion, the UNDP said many people could not succeed with this online system and finally returned to their previous system.

Talking about the proxy voting system, Sanaullah said the proxy balloting system is practiced in various countries, including Australia and England. In India, it is practiced only for the members of the armed forces, he said.

He said the arguments in favour of this proxy system include this system is practiced in some places globally, a system is here in Bangladesh that lands and other properties can be sold by another person through power of attorney, and there is also a tradition here that the persons with physically-challenged people can vote with the help of others.

“This is the only method that the (balloting) can be done in minimum time and in real time,” said the Election Commissioner.

He said the Election Commission will arrange a workshop over the three balloting system by April 7 and 8 next with participation of experts including ones from Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and MIST, experts from the electoral system reform commission and EC’s former expert officials and NGOs. “We want to develop a system,” he said.

“Later, we want to discuss with political parties and other stakeholders. Then if we see that this is acceptable, then we will go to the system development. Later we will have to go to testing and auditing,” said Md Sanaullah.

He said the EC then will have to change the law and will go for a trial run of the system (proxy balloting system).

“We hope, although it is a conditional matter … We think we will be able to implement proxy voting on a larger scale and the rest systems on a trial basis,” said the Election Commissioner.

He said although there is no actual information about the number of expatriate voters. According to the information the EC gleaned from 44 Bangladeshi missions in 34 foreign countries, the number of expatriates is 13.2 million.

“If we assume 70 to 80 percent are voters, then there are 10 million voters. Only those whose names are on the voter list will be able to vote through proxy balloting system,” he added.