With polling only eight days away, successful use of electronic voting machine (EVM) in the maiden Comilla City Corporation polls could be a major challenge for the Election Commission as many voters are still unfamiliar with the device. The EC, however, is confident that the much-talked-about machine will prove a success.
This is the first time the commission is going to use the EVM in the entire polling in any elections in the country. It will use 421 machines in as many booths in 65 polling centres. Besides, 65 more will be kept reserved on the polling day. Earlier the main opposition BNP decided not to back any candidate as the EC turned down its demands for army deployment and not using EVM.
Talking to The Daily Star, Returning Officer Abdul Baten said, “Primarily it [using EVM] was really a challenge for us. But now we are confident as people have taken it easily.”
A massive campaign is going on to inform the voters about the system, he mentioned adding, the EC officials have been organising programmes to educate the voters about the electronic voting system by showing videos on large display panels at different public places. Even the officials are going door to door.
Motaher Hossain Anis, chairman of Comilla Commerce College Foundation, yesterday said he has not yet seen the machine.
“So far as I know, people in my area didn’t get the opportunity to learn about the new voting system,” added Motaher, a resident of Chowdhury Para which is about one kilometre from the returning officer’s office.
Full Article: Many voters still unaware of EVM.