Registered voters opting for Paper Ballot Facilitation Booth or PBFB and Mobile Voting Booth started voting from today across the country. In Thimphu, 11 facilitation booths were set up in different locations for people from 20 dzongkhags. The election commission initiated this considering the pandemic situation.
Voters who registered for the facilitation booth services can cast their votes without having to travel all the way to their villages. In the past, the facilitation booth caters only to eligible voters who are civil servants, corporate employee, trainees, armed forces and their dependents among others. However, the commission has extended this service to all registered voters this time because of the ongoing pandemic situation.
“Paper Ballot Facilitation Booth is in operation from today till the 15th of December in all the 20 dzongkhags. Since there are people from across 19 dzongkhags in Thimphu, we have created 10 such centres where each centre will cater to two dzongkhag. And we have 11th one especially for people who are living with disabilities in the youth centre,” said Phub Dorji, the Director at the ECB.
People voting through the Paper Ballot Facilitation Booth in Thimphu welcomed the commission’s initiative. According to most voters residing in Thimphu, travelling to vote is quite costly since their village is quite far from the capital. They say the service has made voting easier for them.
“We can’t go far because we have children and when we go to our village, we have to stay in quarantine. Now with this, we didn’t have to stay in quarantine, and being able to vote from the place you stay has made it very convenient for me,” said Hema Ghalley, a voter from Tading Gewog in Samtse.
“If we are given facilities like this, there will be more people who will vote. Before I worked in the private sector. And we couldn’t go to our village and we couldn’t vote for the deserving candidate. This one is very helpful,” added Kelzang Phuntsho, from Wangphu Gewog in Samdrup Jongkhar residing in Thimphu.
Out of 460,000 total registered voters in the country, over 95,000 people have registered for the Paper Ballot Facilitation Booth. Thimphu alone has recorded more than 30,000 registration for this Facilitation Booth.
Local government election is important given its direct participation of people in local developments. With such services extended to all registered voters, participation of people in this local government election is expected to increase which will further strengthen the local government.
Samten Dolkar
Edited by Sonam
