Kachin State Election Sub-Commission will open 53 polling booths for service personnel and civilians in Kachin State.

Military personnel will have to cast their ballots at 52 out 53 polling booths in Kachin State together with other civilian voters in the upcoming election.

The commission will open only one polling booth exclusively for military personnel, said U Tun Aung Khaing, the officer of the Kachin State Election Sub-Commission.

“A separate polling booth in Tatthit ward in Putao District is reserved only for the military personnel. But all other polling booths will be built in the ward outside of military bases,” he added. "Apart from Sawlaw and Ingyanyan Townships, the polling stations used by the military are located in the four remaining districts in Kachin State.”

In the previous elections, the polling stations were built inside military barracks.

Lawyer Daw Dwe Bu, Vice-Chair of the Kachin State People’s Party said: “Moving the military polling stations is a good idea. But the UEC will still not allow the parties to canvass the families of service personnel in the military compound.”

The election commission has not released the total number of voters from the army.

More than 19 parties will compete in the upcoming election in Kachin State. There are more than 1,080,000 eligible voters in Kachin State.