January 28: The campaigning period has ended and voters of the five dzongkhags of Gasa, Trashiyangtse, Lhuentse, Thimphu and Haa will go to the polls on the January 29 to elect their National Council (NC) members.

Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag has four candidates contesting in the elections. The people of Thimphu Dzongkhag have nominated two candidates for the National Council elections.

With Lhuentse, Haa and Gasa having only one candidate, the elections in these three dzongkhags will be an uncontested one with voters using YES and NO votes.

In the past few days, election officials have been putting the final touches for the elections that will be held on Tuesday.

The Election Commission airlifted equipment and personnel to remote polling stations including Lunana and Lingshi.

The poll day, January 29 is a public holiday in the five Dzongkhags. The polling time is from 8am to 4pm.

A notification from the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) says all shops and business in the five Dzongkhags shall remain closed on the Poll Day till the closure of Poll at 4pm.

Liquor shops and bars shall remain closed on the Poll Day until all votes have been counted and consolidated at the National Counting Centre in Thimphu.
The Poll Day is a dry day where the sale of liquor is strictly forbidden, and anybody found selling liquor or found drunk shall be considered to be in violation of Electoral Laws and shall be dealt with accordingly.

The Election Commission says no voter or person shall carry any weapon including a pen knife in a polling station and other public places on the Poll Day.

While Mobile phones shall not be allowed in a polling station, the Election Commission says voters must carry their Voter Photo Identity Card (VPIC) and new citizenship Identity Card to the polling station.

The VPIC shall be the primary means of establishing the identity of the voter by the First Polling Officer.