The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Election Commission (EC) decided yesterday to increase polling booths by 20 percent for the January 22 upazila elections.

Mohammad Sohul Hussain, Election Commissioner (EC) told the journalists that some 20,000 more booths would be set up during the upcoming polls as each voter would need to cast three votes each in the upazila election.

"The voters in the upazila polls will have to cast one vote for the chairman, one for the vice chairman and one for the woman vice chairman in different colourful ballot papers, which are likely to take voters more time compared to the general elections," he added.

He also said the manpower, including law enforcement agencies, would also be increased.

The commission earlier decided to set up 174,763 polling booths in 32,381 polling stations.

A total of 8,131 candidates are contesting the upazila election, with some 3316 vying for chairman, 2,879 for vice-chairman and 1,936 for female vice-chairman posts.

Meanwhile, the election commission officials said the EC completed printing of 18 crore ballot papers while works were underway to print another four crore for the third upazila elections.