Many voters are still unaware about where they should go to vote. To address the curiosity of voters regarding polling centres, polls-related information, and voting guidelines, the Election Commission has assured that this information will be readily available.
With just four days to go before the February 12 national election and referendum, the EC said it has introduced four channels: the Smart Election Management BD app, the 105 hotline, SMS to the same number, and the EC’s website.
Details such as polling centre location, distance, and maps can be accessed through these official channels.
EC Director (Public Relations) Md Ruhul Amin Mollik told The Daily Star that voters can access election-related information daily by dialling the hotline 105 from February 8. Also, voters can receive information about their centre by sending an SMS to 105 from tomorrow onwards.
“Voters can also access the information of their polling centre via the Smart Election Management BD app,” said Ruhul Amin Mollik.
The App
Smart Election Management BD app, an initiative by the EC launched officially on November 12, 2023, is available on Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store, both in Bangla and English.
Through the app, voters can find their respective polling centres by typing National Identification Card (NID) and date of birth in the designated section. They can also view their addresses, voter numbers, and voting serial numbers via the app.
The app also contains the details of candidates in the upcoming election. The number of seats, registered voters, political parties, candidate numbers, minimum age of voters and candidates, affidavit-related information, and polling results are available on the app.
105 Hotline, SMS service
Voters may also dial the EC’s call centre at the Hotline number 105 to obtain voter information. The hotline is active from 8:00am to 5:00pm on working days.
EC’s website
The EC’s website also provides voter number and polling centre details. Simply go to ecs.gov.bd using any browser on a laptop, desktop, or mobile device, and click on the “Polling Center” menu to access the search option.
The EC website allows polling centres to be searched in two ways: by selecting the constituency and upazila/thana to view the list of centres, and by entering the NID number and date of birth to directly obtain the voter number and polling centre details.
The site also integrates Google Maps, enabling voters to see the exact location of their centres, along with distance and route information for easier access.
333 a2i Hotline
Beyond these four methods, voters can dial 333, a toll‑free a2i National Helpline hotline -- which will provide accurate, reliable, and verified election-related information services.
By dialling 333 and pressing 9, voters can easily learn about voting rules and procedures, polling centre locations, NID information, the code of conduct for national elections, referendum, expatriates' voting guidelines, special facilities for persons with disabilities, elderly and women voters, as well as emergency instructions and necessary contact numbers.
Since its pilot launch on January 16, the special service has already provided information and assistance to 1,643 citizens, according to the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.
