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Bangladesh
General Right to
Vote
Constitution:
(22 October 1996)
Section 122, subsection (1) states, "The elections to Parliament
shall be on the basis of adult franchise."
Exclusion Based
on Mental Disability
Constitution:
(22 October 1996)
Under Article 66, section (2), a person is "disqualified for
election as, or for being, a member of Parliament who
(a) is declared
by a competent court to be of unsound mind
"
Article 122, subsection (2) states: "A person shall be entitled
to be enrolled on the electoral roll for a constituency delimited the
purpose of election to Parliament, if he
(c) does not stand declared
by a competent court to be of unsound mind"
Voter Assistance
By Other Citizens
Electoral Law:
(26 December 1972: "Representation of the People Order")
Article 31, section (7) states that "Where an elector is blind
or is otherwise so incapacitated that he cannot vote without the assistance
of a companion, the Presiding Officer shall allow him such assistance
and thereupon such elector may do with such assistance anything which
an elector is required or permitted to do under this order
(1972: The Conduct of Elections Rules)
(updated 15 April 1993)
Included is "Certificate" to be filled out by companion
of incapacitated voter, assuring that the voter's wishes have been met.
Poll Worker Manuals:
(1997: Presiding Officer Manual)
"A voter who needs assistance in marking the ballot paper
is entitled to vote with the help of a companion. The companion must:
be not less than 21 years of age; not be a Contesting Candidate, Polling
Agent, or Election Agent; advise the companion of the responsibilities
and obligations of assisting a voter. The Companion must: mark the ballot
only according to the voter's wishes; not seek to influence the voter's
choice of candidate; not reveal to anyone how the voter voted and must
preserve the voter's right to a secret ballot. To betray secrecy of the
ballot is an illegal offence."
(1997: Solving Election Day Problems)
Under "Voters who need assistance," it states, "If
a voter needs assistance do the following: tell the voter to select a
relative or a person who lives with them; if there is no one the voter
chooses, a member of the BEI may assist the voter; the person who assists
the voter MUST go to the portable voting booth with the voter and use
the ballot secrecy folder; when the ballot is voted, the assistor must
sign an oath and print the name of the voter in the Minutes of Voting.
Assistors other than BEI members can only assist up to three (3) people
per election."
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