CUCSU polls: Voters line up to cast ballots even after 4pm

Though it is past time for polling centres to close in the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union election, officials are still allowing those in line to cast their ballots.

Agency correspondent Masum Kamal said that students are still voting at 18 halls in five university buildings and one hostel. A few stray voters are still lined up, he said.

Two voters joined the line just before the 4pm cutoff at one centre.

A few stragglers were still waiting at several polling rooms at the Faculty of Science and one or two came in just before the election was scheduled to end.

Four election officials at the Faculty of Science said that anyone inside the building by 4pm will be allowed to cast their ballot, no matter how long it takes. However, no one will be allowed to enter the premises after 4pm.

Chief Election Commissioner Monir Uddin said the rules about allowing anyone on the polling centre premises to cast their vote had been clear ahead of time.

“Even if they were slow, whoever they are, if they can be at the polling centre premises by 4pm, we will accept their vote no matter how long it takes.”

The Election Commission had set the CUCSU election schedule from 9am to 4pm on Wednesday. However, polls opened around 9:30am and it took until 11:30am for those with visual disabilities to be able to vote.

The first student council elections at the university in 35 years has ended without any major reports of irregularities.