Bangladesh to Introduce Postal Ballots for Expat Voter Rights in 2026
Bangladesh's Election Commission has announced plans to introduce postal ballots for expatriate voters in the 2026 general election. This move aims to extend voting rights to around 7.5% of the country's population and 10% of its voters living abroad.
The new system requires voters to sign an undertaking to cast their ballots freely, privately, and on time. However, the complex procedure may discourage participation due to potential errors at each step. Globally, postal ballot wastage stands at 24%, with one in every four ballots never making it back.
The two main challenges of postal voting are ensuring secrecy and validity of votes. Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah acknowledged the risk of postal ballots being questioned if expat voter turnout is high and confidence in the process is low. Historically, expatriate voter turnout is low globally, with only 2.7% of eligible expatriates registering and fewer than 30% of registrants actually voting.
To facilitate expatriate voting, the Postal Vote BD app is expected to launch in the third week of November 2023. Despite challenges, the Election Commission is committed to expanding voting rights for Bangladeshi expatriates in the 2026 general election.
