The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) declared the official results for the Fourth Thromde Elections on 16th July 2026. Deepen Ghallay has been elected as the new Thrompon for Phuentsholing. In the capital city, Ugyen Dorji emerged victorious to lead the Thimphu Thromde.
A total of four candidates contested for the two mayoral posts across the country. This group included three male candidates and one female candidate. Notably, this election featured the first-ever woman to contest for the post of Thimphu Thrompon.
All aspiring Thrompon candidates had to fulfill a new five-year work experience requirement. Their manifestos also faced strict scrutiny from an Independent Evaluation Committee.
The overall voter turnout for the two Thromdes reached 33.92 percent. Phuentsholing saw a relatively high engagement with 49.91 percent of registered voters casting ballots. Thimphu recorded a lower turnout of 31.90 percent despite having a much larger voter base.
The total number of registered voters across both cities was 10,370, with 9,202 in Thimphu and 1,168 in Phuentsholing. This figure included 57 voters who recently received citizenship through naturalization and regularization.
Post-election analysis shows that women are becoming the driving force of the urban electorate. Female voters made up 55.83 percent of the total turnout. In addition, 6 of the 14 Tshogpa candidates were women, of whom 4 were successfully elected.
This significant participation occurred even though women remain underrepresented in the Thrompon candidate pool. The data suggests a growing civic awareness among Bhutanese women in urban centers.
Young voters also showed strong engagement in shaping their city’s future. Jigme Norbu, aged 18, was recognized as the youngest voter in this election. The younger age group (18-24 years old) also showed promising participation with 280 total voters from both Thromdes.
At the same time, senior citizens demonstrated deep commitment to the democratic process. Phurba, a 95-year-old resident of Thimphu, was the oldest person to cast a vote. A total of 807 senior citizens above the age of 61 from both the Thromdes were recorded to have voted.
To ensure inclusivity, officials provided doorstep voting services for persons with disabilities.
Campaign spending patterns revealed a cautious approach by many candidates. The ECB set an expenditure ceiling of Nu 75,000.
Only the Thrompon candidates in Phuentsholing reported incurring campaign expenses. No expenditure was recorded for the Thimphu Thrompon or any of the Tshogpa candidates. This trend suggests that candidates may be relying more on common forums than expensive advertising.
The election process was largely peaceful with no major disputes recorded. However, the Chhukha Dzongkhag Election Dispute Settlement Body issued a warning to a Member of Parliament (MP) of the National Assembly.
The MP was asked to leave his constituency during the election period to maintain neutrality.
In Thimphu, one Tshogpa candidate had to explain their absence from a supplementary common forum. The explanation provided was eventually found to be satisfactory.
Technological modernization was a key highlight of the Fourth Local Election. The ECB successfully piloted the Election Results and Administration system for managing candidate data.
The Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan, Deki Pema, said that a “Know Your Candidate” system is also in the works.
“With this system, voter and civic education can be enhanced. The public can access all information about their candidate and all information about one’s designated polling station and the election process,” she said.
International observers from the Election Commission of India also visited to monitor the polls. The ECB is now focused on the election petition period.
Stakeholders have until 5 pm on 29th July 2026, to submit any formal complaints regarding the results.
