We are collecting voters' experiences for publishing. If you have been to the voting booth today and would like to share your experience of voting with us, please message our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/dailystarnews. 

"As soon as we entered the centre, seeing my mother’s shankha another lady wearing a shankha approached us and told us which three symbols to vote for. On getting out, someone else let us know that party workers are taking voters in by their hands and helping to cast votes. I cast my vote according to the symbols that I could recognise, but as I didn’t experience any campaigning, I didn’t recognise the faces. The voting seemed fair.”

"I am registered as a voter in Ward no. 30 in the Adabor-Shyamoli region. My polling centre was at Mission International Girls School and College, which I found out by texting my NID number to the helpline. I went to vote around 11am expecting smaller crowds, and that was indeed the case. There seemed to be more party personnel and helping hands at the polling centre than actual voters, which was surprising. I was guided to my polling booth by these men where I was once again surprised to find out that I was the only voter and there was no queue. There were no officers present at the booth either but the polling agents guided me through the process. I voted for my preferred candidates in three separate ballots, and the entire process took less than 10 minutes."

"Mayor and Ward Councillor Election experience, Rotary School, East Rajabazar. Awami League Polling Agents tried to force me to vote for "Boat" for Mayor. They didn't want to allow me to vote unless I voted for Atiq. I had to scream and shout and make a scene to vote for my chosen candidate, "Kastey". I have finally cast my vote."

"In the last mayoral election, I gave my vote in Manarat School, Gulshan. This time they told me I'm not enlisted as a voter, and I was forced to leave without giving a vote.  I wish I could, but honestly, I'm afraid—they just beat 3 persons right in front of us and the police were watching it with no qualms. My husband has requested me not to protest openly. So upset."

“I went to vote at Nakhalpara Hossain Ali High School. The environment was good but there were some crowds at the voting centre. Some voters could not understand their voter serial number. The rooms have been allocated as per the serial numbers that can be obtained online.”

“At a voting centre in DSCC ward no. 41, I saw that Paddy Sheaf voters weren’t being allowed to enter from three separate directions.”

"Just voted. Ali Hossain Girls School, Shankar. Ward-34, DNCC. Everything at the polling centre looked peaceful and festive. In the room I voted, quite a few polling agents were sitting. The EVM experience was also really smooth. However, just outside the polling centre, a huge number of supporters wearing badges for Atiqul and AL-backed councillor candidate Khokon was seen gathering, asking people to vote etc. Enough law enforcers were at the scene, and nothing seemed odd."

“I went with my mother to cast our votes at Teachers Training College. Her voting room was downstairs while mine was upstairs. The women were friendly, they took my fingerprint and I went to cast my vote. Midway through my voting, a man with a 'Boat' symbol ID hanging on his neck peeks into my voting booth. I look at him and ask what he was doing there. He replies, 'No, I'm making sure that you are voting right.' At this point, I ask him to leave and he notices that I cast my vote for a different party. He looks and me sternly and says, 'Oh, so you voted for that symbol? Get out of here.' He then exits the curtained area. I follow him out and see him pointing at me and screaming at others present, 'Didn’t you see this ***** cast her vote for that symbol? Who let her in? Make sure this symbol gets no vote in this station.' I asked him, 'Why are you screaming profanities? I will cast my vote according to my wish, who are you to tell me? Why will you enter the voting booth when one is casting their vote?' He looks away and goes, 'Get out. I am not going to speak with you.' He proceeds to scream names at the woman officers present there. The guards outside were all looking in at this point but did nothing. He kept telling me to get out but I told him, 'I will leave when I’m done. You cannot tell me to leave.' He asked the officers for my 4-digit number and walked inside the curtained area. When I questioned this and asked everyone there why he went in there with my number, they just told me to leave. I got out and asked where I could file a complaint about this matter and everyone directed me towards someone else. I went to four different officers and no one took responsibility for this. I left the scene since I could do no more.”

"Did I cast my vote? Does it matter?"

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"Irregularities happening at Green Road East at YWCA School - a family member wasn't allowed to enter the school at 10am by Nouka and Ghuri agents. Another managed to get into their assigned room around 1:40pm, but agents "instructed" the voters on which marka to select. The person had already clicked on Nouka but hadn't hit confirm yet - they told the polling agent to disappear. The agent looked at the screen, got out of the booth. Thankfully didn't escalate further."