The mobile voting booth service for the elderly and people living with disability has helped in boosting voter participation in this election. The voter turnout this time was up by 12.62 per cent from the last election. In Trongsa, the elderly population shouldered the household responsibilities when the eligible voters went out to vote on the poll day.
In the past, some people have to miss the voting because they have to stay back to look after the livestock. But not this time. Since the elderly have already cast their vote a week before the poll day, they stayed back to send the other eligible voters to the poll.
Eighty-year-old Namgay Dema was among the elderly population who have cast her vote through the mobile service. While all eligible voters from her house went to vote on the poll day, she was at home, rejuvenated and looking after the cattle.
“I can’t walk or hear properly. Otherwise, I must also travel to the polling stations today to cast my vote. I am grateful for this service enabling people like us to vote from the doorstep,” she said.
Like her, elderlies who have exercised their franchise already stayed back tending to the farm and household chores.
“It is really helpful. We need not wait in a queue to vote. I have a bad knee. Moreover, there are chances of transmission of diseases as we are old and our immune is weakening,” said Namgay Wangdi, from Dangdung in Langthil of Trongsa.
It was also a relief to the younger generation. They said they can be at ease since their parents who have already voted are at home.
“Had my mother not voted through such facility, I must bring her here but today she assisted me with all the household chores at home and I was able to come here and vote,” a voter said.
However, of about 900 who registered for the Mobile Voting Booth service, more than a hundred voters didn’t vote. There are close to 11,000 registered voters in Trongsa.
The Election Commission of Bhutan introduced this service during the third democratic election in 2018. The service is aimed at making the election inclusive in electing the best representative.
Passang, Trongsa
Edited by Sonam
