nvestigations conducted by Ju Chan and 001
While Myanmar’s legal framework does not establish a minimum requirement for voter turnout, a participation rate above 50 percent is typically viewed by international standards as essential for an election to be representative.
During a Military Commission meeting on 12 August, 2025, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing stated that a turnout surpassing 50 percent would demonstrate that the majority will have been captured.
Subsequently, on 31 December, spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun declared the first phase of the election a success, reporting a voter turnout of over 52 percent. However, Mizzima News reports that these official claims are contested by residents and candidates, as the authorities have not provided specific township-level data to verify the figures.
Withholding of information and technical barriers
The voter registry, which is essential for calculating participation rates, remains shielded from the public; while the Union Election Commission’s website features a section for these lists, the links remained broken as of 10 January.
A Mizzima investigation, which compared official data from the 102 townships in the first phase against local reports, revealed that the central commission exerts rigid authority over all election-related figures. Furthermore, various local commissions have refused to disclose data or have referred inquiries back to the central administration. In the majority of townships, actual participation appears notably low, and there are substantial inconsistencies within official statements.
Voting conditions and characteristics by region
Nay Pyi Taw (the area with the strongest military control)
Average turnout: 66.54 percent
Highest: Zeyathiri Township (78.20 percent)
Lowest: Pyinmana Township (56.45 percent)
In Nay Pyi Taw, where military control is strongest, voters faced significant pressure and intimidation, and irregularities in the voter lists raised serious suspicions about the integrity of the electoral process.
Mon State and Kayin State
In Mon State, the mean participation rate reached 38.96 percent, led by Chaung Sone Township with a peak turnout of 44.1 percent.
In Kayin State, participation rates showed a notable range, with Myawaddy seeing a 28.92 percent turnout while Hpa-an reached 34.39 percent. Meanwhile, the voter registry for Thandaunggyi remains undisclosed, as voting activities there were restricted entirely to military bases.
Chin State and Karenni State
Chin State: The average voter turnout was 22.18 percent, with only 10.31 percent in Tedim Township. A glaring inconsistency was identified in Tedim, where the final ballot count of 4,235 valid votes actually surpassed the 3,980 registered voters by a margin of 255.
Karenni State: elections were held only in Bawlakhe and Loikaw, where voter turnout remained very low.
Other Regions and States
Sagaing: records indicate a significant disparity in participation: Kalay saw the lowest turnout at 32.88 percent, while Shwebo reached the highest at 67.83 percent.
Yangon: Although the election was held in 12 townships, Ahlone had 30.63 percent, and the rest were estimated to have around 30 percent.
Shan State: participation statistics reflected the region’s complex security landscape: Lashio recorded the lowest turnout at 32.6 percent, while Mong Hsat, an area with a significant military presence, saw the highest engagement at 75.7 percent.
Ayeyarwady: Myaung Mya had the highest turnout at 71.61 percent, and Hinthada had the lowest at 57.24 percent.
Rakhine State: Only 27.22 percent of voters voted in military-controlled Kyaukphyu. Locals said turnout was also very low in Sittwe and Man Aung.
In Kachin State, participation figures were recorded at 67.97 percent for Khaung Lan Phu and 43.19 percent for Putao. In Naungmoon Township, the USDP candidate secured an automatic victory as the sole representative, eliminating the need for a ballot count. Meanwhile, turnout data for Myitkyina, Mohnyin, and Tanai has not yet been released.
In Mandalay Region, voting occurred across eight townships; investigation by Mizzima confirmed that Pyawbwe reached the peak participation rate of 66.41 percent, whereas Chanayethazan recorded the lowest at 52.14 percent.
Magway Region: The election was held in nine townships, with Minbu having the highest turnout at 61.15 percent and Chauk having the lowest turnout at 45.14 percent. No voter lists were available for Pwint Phyu Township.
Bago Region: The election was held in eight townships, but the voter turnout was only calculated for Taungoo Township at 47.67 percent and Bago Township at 43.13 percent. The remaining townships were not released.
Tanintharyi Region: The election was held in Kawthaung, Dawei, Boke Pyin and Myeik, but the commission did not release data for the remaining townships, except for Myeik at 46.68 percent.
During the initial stage of the military commission’s elections, significant voter participation was observed exclusively in Nay Pyi Taw and regions hosting military installations.
The election results are deeply disputed, characterized by a lack of transparency in data, significant mismatches between voter registries and ballot counts, and numerous contradictions identified through media inquiries.
Skepticism persists regarding the Military Commission’s claimed 52 percent first-round turnout, particularly as the tally of valid ballots surpassed the total number of registered voters. In response to these irregularities, Mizzima launched an inquiry into the discrepancies and assessed the real-world conditions across 102 townships.
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