‘This is a fake election’: Polls close in Myanmar but voters have little doubt junta proxy will prevail

Myanmar electoral officials count ballots after closing the third phase of the general election at a polling station in Yangon, Myanmar, 25 January 2026. Photograph: Rungroj Yongrit/EPA

The polls have closed in Myanmar, but no one is waiting in suspense. After arresting political opponents, banning the most popular political party and using violence to crush dissent, the military’s proxy is on course to win by a landslide.

“This is a fake election,” says a man who voted on Sunday in Mandalay, the second most populous city, his finger freshly dipped in purple ink. Like many, he voted only out of fear, worried that junta officials could retaliate if he stayed home.