Govt Approves Draft of RPO Including ‘No’ Vote Option, Scrap of EVM Use

The government today approved the final draft of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 (RPO), which includes provisions to reintroduce the ‘No’ vote option and repeal the clause allowing the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections.

The approval came at the weekly meeting of the Council of Advisers, held at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair.

“The most significant amendment in the RPO is the removal of the provision for electronic voting machines (EVMs). In addition, the ‘No’ vote option has been reinstated,” Law Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul told reporters at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the afternoon. Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam was also present.

Professor Nazrul said the changes were introduced to prevent a recurrence of manipulated elections such as the one held in 2014.

“If there is only one candidate in a constituency, voters will now have the option to cast a ‘No’ vote if they do not support that candidate. In such cases, a re-election will be held in the constituency,” he explained.

He added that the amendment also brings the army, navy, and air force under the definition of law enforcement agencies.

Furthermore, the ordinance bars fugitive accused individuals from contesting elections and makes district election officers responsible for managing district-level election offices.

Candidates will now be required to submit detailed statements of their income and assets—both domestic and foreign—to the Election Commission through an affidavit. “These disclosures will be made public on the EC’s website so that every citizen can see how much their candidates earn, from where, and what properties they own,” Professor Nazrul said.

Under the amendment, the election security deposit has been increased from Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000. Donations of Tk 50,000 or more to candidates must be made through banking channels and accompanied by the donor’s tax return.

The ordinance also allows expatriate voters living abroad and officials on election duty to cast their votes via postal ballots. Media presence during the vote-counting process has also been ensured.

Additionally, the Election Commission has been empowered to annul the results of an entire constituency if widespread irregularities are detected.

In the case of elections contested under an alliance, candidates must now use their respective party symbols to help voters clearly identify which party they represent.