The Election Commission (EC) announced on Thursday that its ongoing initiatives to update the voter list ahead of upcoming local government polls remain on track to publish the final registry on August 31.

Outlining the technical parameters, an EC spokesman stated that the Commission has fixed July 31, 2008, as the qualifying date under Section 3(j) of the Voter List Act, 2009, meaning individuals enlisted in the database with birthdays on or before that date will be officially included on the voters roll.

Senior Assistant Secretary Md Nasir Uddin Chowdhury noted that the Commission has approved a formal timeline for releasing the draft roll, handling claims, objections, and correction applications, and executing verifications prior to the final publication.

According to an EC circular signed by Chowdhury, August 4 has been designated as the deadline to prepare the PDF format of the updated draft list and distribute links to field-level registration officers, with the draft voter list scheduled for public release on August 9.

Citizens have until August 24 to submit any claims, objections, or applications for corrections.

Authorities will then incorporate decisions regarding these submissions by August 28, culminating in the publication of the final updated voter list on August 31.

To maximize public awareness and participation, the EC circular directed that announcements be broadcast before or after prayers by imams and priests at mosques, temples and other places of worship, encouraging residents to inspect the printed draft and request necessary amendments.

Furthermore, administrative arrangements have been established to publicize the voter roll through local media outlets and cable operators.

The circular additionally emphasized that immediate steps will be taken to rectify any specific errors in the printed draft—such as a female voter listed among males, a male voter placed on the female list, mistakes concerning religion, or any other data discrepancies.