450 new poll centers, 17,000 fewer booths for 13th JS polls

The Election Commission has released a draft list of 42,618 potential polling centres for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, serving approximately 126.3 million registered voters.

This marks an increase of 468 polling centres compared to the 12th parliamentary election held two years ago, despite a significant reduction of around 17,426 polling booths nationwide.

The draft list was unveiled by Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed during a press briefing at Election Commission Bhaban on Wednesday. The proposed polling stations have been published at the local level, allowing citizens to file claims or objections by September 25. These will be reviewed and resolved by October 12, with the final list of polling centres expected to be confirmed by October 20.

Under election regulations, once the polling schedule is finalized, the Election Commission must publish a gazette notification listing all constituency-wise polling stations—including the name of each centre, voter count, and number of booths, at least 25 days before election day.

Although the number of voters has grown from 119.1 million in the previous election to over 126.3 million, the current Commission has opted to streamline operations by reducing the total number of polling booths while slightly increasing the number of polling centres. This strategic shift aims to improve administrative efficiency and election management.

According to the draft, the 42,618 polling centres will host a total of 244,046 polling booths—a sharp decline from the 261,472 booths used in the 12th general election. Of the proposed booths, 114,939 are designated for male voters and 129,107 for female voters.

This restructuring follows a revised allocation policy. While the standard of one polling centre per approximately 3,000 voters has been maintained, the new guidelines adjust booth distribution based on gender-specific voter density. Under the updated rules: One polling booth will be assigned for every 600 male voters and one polling booth will be assigned for every 500 female voters.

Previously, the ratio was one booth per 500 male voters and one per 400 female voters within a 3,000-voter centre.

Officials say the changes aim to balance voter load, enhance accessibility, particularly for women voters,  and ensure smoother logistics on election day. The final polling station list will be officially gazetted after public feedback is incorporated.