Mizoram’s one-voter village gets special postal ballot to protect secrecy

In an unusual election-day scenario, officials in Mizoram had to devise a special voting arrangement for a remote border village where the electorate had dwindled to a single eligible voter, according to a TOI report.

Hmawngbuchhuah—situated along the Myanmar border—recorded just one name on the rolls for the December 3 Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) polls, compelling authorities to abandon the standard electronic voting machine.

The lone voter, Lalsangbera, could not cast his ballot on an EVM because the machine’s candidate-wise tally would have effectively disclosed his choice, reported TOI.
To safeguard the secrecy of the vote, the district administration authorised a postal ballot instead. A team led by nodal officer Lalnunpuia travelled nearly 40 km from Lawngtlai on November 29 to deliver the ballot, district commissioner Donny Lalruatsanga said. Lalsangbera marked his vote from home.

Once home to nearly 400 people, Hmawngbuchhuah has seen its population transform due to ongoing conflict across the border. Since 2017, roughly 300 refugees from Myanmar’s Paletwa region—locally known as Zakhai or Rakhine—have taken shelter in the village.

Their refugee status makes them ineligible to vote. Although four individuals sought scheduled tribe status during the draft roll process, only Lalsangbera qualified.