Election app to update voter turnout every two hours

The election commission has launched an app named 'Smart Election Management BD' for the 12th parliamentary polls.

All information related to the general election will be available on the app several days before the voting slated for Jan 7.

As some information have already been added to the app, officials say that it will provide updates of voter turnout in a constituency every two hours.

EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said the presiding officers will upload the updated data regularly.

Muhammad Ashraf Hossain, system manager at the EC’s NID wing, said the turnout of each centre will not be shown separately.

Speaking at the launch of the app on Nov 12, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said the app will help people know the trend easily, which will increase transparency.

Citizens across the country can use the app for information, including the number of voters, names of polling stations, candidates, parties and seat-wise information, obligations of all sides, voter turnout and results.

EC’s Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath said that information about the 12th parliamentary elections will be available in phases via the app.

 “We hope the voters will get centre-wise data after the finalisation of the polling stations,” he said.

The app will show pictures of the polling stations and their geographical locations through a map.

There will be information about the division-wise seats as well as total voters, total seats and detailed information of the candidates, such as affidavits, income tax, election expenditure and wealth statement.

A citizen will also get a graphical description of previous elections.

They will need to put their date of birth and NID number for verification after downloading the app on mobile devices.