Chin State’s Election Commission (EC) says it is working together with respective government departments to update its voters’ list and ensure that next year’s election is as inclusive as possible.

“The General Administration Department has been collecting a population list, and depending on the data that they gather, the Immigration Department will issue family registration documents and national ID cards by August. Then GAD officials will transfer the data that they collect to township election commissions, which will put this data onto computers. Then we will get a draft voter list,” Lin Kyaw, the secretary of the Chin State EC, told Khonumthung News.

Ideas about the best way to draw up a complete and accurate list of eligible voters in the state were discussed in the state capital Hakha on July 9 at a meeting between the EC, political parties, and civil society organizations (CSOs).

According to Lin Kyaw, another priority is making sure that disabled people have an opportunity to vote in the 2020 general elections.

“Our plan is to collect the names of disabled people on a separate Excel sheet. This way we will be able to make sure that there are ballot boxes that are accessible for them at their local polling stations. We are doing our best to accommodate their needs,” said Lin Kyaw.

According to the 2014 census, Chin State has the second-highest number of disabled people in Burma.

Lin Kyaw urged voters to cooperate with GAD staff when they come to collect population data.

The meeting was attended by political parties registered in Chin State, the Hakha municipal government, media outlets, and a variety of CSOs, including the Hakha Disabled People’s Association, the Myanmar Women’s and Children’s Empowerment Association, the Chin Women’s Organization, and the Hakha Township Retired Soldiers’ Association.