All articles tagged with #election commission
India's Election Commission is re-scrutinizing nearly 80 million voters in Bihar to verify their documents, citing concerns over illegal immigrants, but critics fear this move could lead to mass disenfranchisement, especially among marginalized communities, and is seen as a potential step towards implementing a nationwide NRC.
After the first recall effort against Wisconsin's Assembly speaker, Robin Vos, faced allegations of widespread fraud and fell short of signatures, organizer Matthew Snorek has launched a second recall effort. The new petition accuses Vos of "tacit support for the Chinese Communist Party" and disrespect for constituents. The first recall effort is under investigation for fraudulent signatures, and Vos has challenged the petitions, alleging forgeries and circulation by felons. The new recall petitions are due by May 28, and the situation is ongoing.
India will hold a seven-phase general election starting on April 19, with results to be declared on June 4, making it the world's largest democratic exercise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term, with his Bharatiya Janata Party aiming for 370 seats. The opposition alliance, led by the Indian National Congress, will challenge Modi's party. The election commission announced the schedule, with nearly 970 million eligible voters and more than a million polling stations in operation.
A group aiming to recall Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a top target of former President Donald Trump, has submitted enough signatures to move forward with the effort. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission will review the signatures, and Vos has the opportunity to challenge the petition. The recall effort stems from Vos' actions related to Trump's candidacy and his handling of the 2020 election. Vos, who refused Trump's urging to dismiss the 2020 election results, faced a close re-election bid in 2022 after Trump endorsed his challenger.
The Indiana Election Commission unanimously removed Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Rust from the primary ballot due to his voting history, leaving U.S. Rep. Jim Banks as the sole GOP candidate. The state Supreme Court rejected Rust's legal challenge to the law barring his candidacy. Rust had sued over Indiana's requirement that candidates must have voted in their party's past two primaries or received approval from a county party chair to appear on the ballot. Rust plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, while Banks, endorsed by the state GOP and former President Donald Trump, continues his campaign for the Senate seat.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that general elections will be held in the last week of January 2024. The ECP has completed its review of the constituency delimitation process, with the initial list set to be released on September 27. After objections and suggestions, the final list will be issued on November 30, followed by a 54-day election program leading up to the polls. Political unrest has been ongoing in Pakistan since former Prime Minister Imran Khan's removal from office, and the country is also redrawing its electoral boundaries. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concerns about potential manipulation of the electoral process and urged the completion of delimitation quickly and efficiently.
Indian politician, Swamy Ramaswamy, has proposed raising the voting age from 18 to 25 in order to ensure that only "mature" people vote. Ramaswamy argues that young people are easily influenced by money and other inducements, and that raising the voting age would help to strengthen democracy. The proposal has sparked debate among politicians and the public, with some arguing that it would disenfranchise young people and others questioning its effectiveness in curbing corruption. The Election Commission has not yet commented on the proposal.
The Election Commission has asked Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to clarify a tweet attributing a remark on sovereignty to his predecessor Sonia Gandhi during an address in Karnataka. The BJP had complained that any remark on sovereignty for a state amounts to a suggestion of secession. The tweet triggered a sharp attack from the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who accused the Congress of openly advocating to "separate" Karnataka from India.
The BJP has written to the Election Commission of India demanding "immediate and firm" action against Congress and its former president Sonia Gandhi for her "sovereignty" remark at a poll rally. The BJP accused the Congress of advocating for "separating" Karnataka from India and demanded that the Election Commission revoke the registration of the party. The BJP also accused the Congress of supporting secessionist bodies or movements like the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) or "tukde tukde gang".
Sai Kyaw Thu, the deputy director-general of Myanmar's Union Election Commission, was assassinated in Yangon by urban guerrilla group "For The Yangon," which opposes the military-installed government. The group claimed that Sai Kyaw Thu was targeted for being a plaintiff in the election fraud case against Aung San Suu Kyi and for being the deputy director-general of the illegal election commission of the military council. The military seized power in February 2021 and has since clamped down harshly on opponents, triggering widespread armed resistance.
Sai Kyaw Thu, the deputy head of Myanmar's military-appointed election commission, was shot dead in Yangon by anti-coup rebels. The military blamed the People's Defence Forces, a loosely-organized armed group opposing military rule. The NUG, established by democratically-elected politicians removed from office in the coup, has also birthed dozens of other opposition groups now battling across the country. Political violence has been on the rise in Myanmar, with almost daily killings of low-level officials working with the military or alleged informers.