PDP Secures Victory with 68 percent seats in Bhutan’s 2024 National Assembly Elections
TASHI LHAMO
Thimphu
In the recently concluded National Assembly (NA) elections of 2024, Bhutan witnessed a 5.27 percent decline in voter turnover compared to the 2018 general elections.
The 2024 NA elections recorded a voter turnover of 65.74 percent, down from 71.46 percent in 2018. Out of 486,983 registered voters, 326,775 cast their votes in 2024, compared to 313,473 out of 438,663 in 2018.
Voting Methods and Regional Trends; Electronic Voting Dominates 2024 Elections; Gelephu District Leads in Turnout
Of the total votes in 2024, 218,273 were cast through Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), and 108,502 were through Postal Ballot (PB). Gelephu district marked the highest voter turnout, with 13,338 voters in Gelephu constituency, while Gasa district had the least, with 910 and 961 voters in Khatoed-Laya and Khamaed-Lunana constituencies, respectively.
Gender Dynamics: Gelephu Constituency Tops Female Voter Turnout
The Gelephu constituency stood out with 6,639 female voters, followed by the Bongo-Chapchha constituency with 5,565 female voters and the Dewathang-Gomdar constituency with 5,662 female voters. In terms of male voters, the Gelephu constituency also led with 6,639, followed by 5,694 in Bongo-Chapchha and 5,525 in Dewathang-Gomdar.
Party Results: PDP Emerges Victorious with 68 percent Seats; BTP Secures 32 percent
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) dominated the 2024 elections, securing 68 percent of the seats and winning 30 constituencies across 13 districts. Meanwhile, the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) secured 32 percent of the votes, winning 17 seats across seven districts.
Snapshot of Previous Elections
Reflecting on the past elections, the 2018 NA elections saw Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) securing the majority of seats with 30 elected candidates, becoming the Ruling Party. In 2013, the PDP emerged as the ruling party with 32 winning candidates.
As Bhutan navigates its democratic journey, the recent election results underscore the shifting dynamics and preferences of the Bhutanese electorate.
