In case of tie vote, winner to be determined by lottery: EC

The Election Commission (EC) has specified that in the event of a tie where two or more candidates receive an equal number of votes in a constituency, the final result will be decided by a lottery system. 

The commission issued a directive in this regard to the returning officers on Monday (18 December).

According to the directive signed by EC Deputy Secretary Md Atiyar Rahman, in case of a tie among candidates in a seat, the returning officer will then promptly conduct a lottery to determine the winner. 

The candidate chosen by the lottery will be recognised as having received the highest number of votes, thus securing the election victory, it said.

The commission also stated that the lottery will be conducted in the presence of all contesting candidates along with their respective polling agents.

Besides, following the determination of the election results, the elected candidate's name will be publicly announced through a notification in accordance with Article 39 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972.

The 12th national election is slated for 7 January. The Election Commission announced the schedule on 15 November amid staunch objections from the opposition parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

The election campaign officially kicked off today (18 December) after the Election Commission allocated election sumbols. The campaign duration will end on 8:00am on 5 January.