Low turnout in Myingyan amid reports of door-to-door voter intimidation and nearby explosions

Mizzima

Residents in Myingyan Township reported a climate of fear and coercion on 25 January, 2026, as the third and final phase of Myanmar’s general election drew to a close. Despite a heavy security presence of soldiers, police, and Pyu Saw Htee militias, local sources described a desperate attempt by ward administrators to force participation through door-to-door visits.

“Administrators are making house calls, essentially implying they have our records if we don’t show up,” a resident told Mizzima.

Many locals admitted to voting only out of fear that a lack of an ink-stained finger, the mark of a voter would lead to the denial of essential administrative documents or “letters of support” in the future.

At one polling station, an official reportedly noted that only 300 out of an expected 2,000 voters had appeared by midday.

The atmosphere in the town remained tense as the sound of explosions, believed to be from local defense forces, echoed from the south and southwest of Myingyan in Mandalay region throughout the morning. The reported explosions have not been independently verified.

Meanwhile, the Myingyan People’s Movement Committee reported that the junta’s pre-election “clearing operations” forced the total evacuation of villages such as Tharpaung, Patta, and Tin Baw Tin after military raids and arson attacks on 24 January.

The final phase in Mandalay Region covers a strategic cluster of townships, including Myingyan, Nganzun, Chan Myae Thazi, Myit Thar, Mahlaing, Taungtha, Thabeikkyin, and Pathein Gyi.

With the conclusion of today’s vote, the military-led Union Election Commission is expected to finalize a seat count that already heavily favours the military-proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which has secured nearly 90% of contested seats in the prior two phases.