The Elections Commission (EC) has reported receiving 36 complaints related to the elections as voting commenced across the country at 8:00 a.m. today.

According to the commission, 28 complaints were submitted to its Complaints Bureau between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., while an additional seven complaints were received via email. The complaints include issues related to campaigning during restricted hours, polling stations, election information, ballot papers and challenges encountered during the voting process.

The EC stated that seven complaints were linked to campaigning during prohibited hours, four to election-related information and eight to polling locations. Three complaints concerned ballot papers, while two were related to issues during the voting process, in addition to five other cases.

The commission has enabled multiple channels for submitting complaints, including online platforms and designated complaint forms, to ensure concerns are addressed promptly.

Voting for the local council and Women’s Development Committee elections as well as a public referendum seeking opinion on amending the Constitution to allow presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on the same day is taking place nationwide, with polls open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A total of 588 polling stations have been established across the country, with 294,876 eligible voters registered for the elections.