Voters take an average of 3:52 minutes to cast two ballots in mock voting

It has taken an average of 1.5 minutes for a voter to enter a hall at a polling centre to cast their two ballots in the parliamentary election and referendum during a mock vote, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah says.

At the inauguration of a training programme for journalists at the Electoral Training Institute (ETI) in Agargaon on Wednesday, he said: "This election will have two ballots, so we must be cautious about time management.

“We have conducted a mock vote and observed that to maintain a good flow, it takes an average of 1.5 minutes for one voter to enter after another. Inside [the booth], a voter took an average of 3 minutes and 52 seconds."

Noting that voters also took time to read the referendum question, he added: "Those who stamped without reading finished in 2 minutes. Those who read the question, however, took up to 8 minutes to cast their vote."

After considering all aspects, the election commissioner announced plans to increase the voting time for the election. A final decision on the matter will be made at the commission’s meeting on Dec 7.

Sanaullah said, "The upcoming election will be an event that sets the tone for the kind of country and democratic journey we want to see in the future."