The second term of the Local Government completes in October. The election will be held within 90 days after the five-year term ends. The election commission says they are ready to conduct the election amid the pandemic.
“We have already developed our strategy to conduct the third Local Government election and we have looked at different scenarios such as a nationwide lockdown,” said Phub Dorji, the Head of the Department of Civic and Electoral Training from the Election Commission of Bhutan.
The commission provided postal ballots to all registered voters residing outside their constituencies during the recent elections. And they will provide a similar facility this time as well.
“If most of the votes are cast through postal ballot, then the crowd or gathering at the polling stations will be less,” he added.
He also added that the commission will provide mobile postal ballot facilitation booths to those above 65 years and people living with disabilities. There were more than 300,000 registered voters in the 2016 local government election.
However, for now, before the notification calling the election, the commission urged aspiring candidates to refrain from any informal election campaigns.
Tshering Zam
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
