By HSENG LENG / SHAN

People aged 60 and older began to cast their votes in the general election on Thursday in Shan State.

According to a local election commission member, those who are eligible for early voting can do so from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. until November 5. Regular voting will take place on election day, November 8.

“We collect early votes during our office hours… After that, we have to transfer the ballot boxes to those in charge of polling stations. We have to make sure of how we do it. All ballot boxes must be sealed with tape,” Kyaw Myint, chairperson of Yay Aye Kwin ward’s election commission in Taunggyi, told SHAN.

He added that voters had to follow the Ministry of Health and Sports’ guidelines due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This includes handwashing, required face masks, and social distancing.

“We didn’t have any problems. The ballot papers were also fine,” 64-year-old early voter Saw Tun San, said of his voting experience in Yay Aye Kwin ward.

Early voting is intended to spare elderly people from the crowds on election day, given the ongoing public health concerns.

However, some people who are eligible to vote early are opting not to because they are concerned about their votes not being considered official.

“In our ward, some of the elderly people do not want to cast early votes, because they feel that early votes are fake votes. They want to vote in the polling station on November 8,” Nang Phoo Tip, a Shan Nationalities League for Democracy candidate in Taunggyi, told SHAN.