(Daily Point) — As Pakistan prepares for its February 8 elections to select the next government amidst economic crisis and political instability, understanding the voting process is crucial, especially for first-time voters. Here’s a simplified breakdown of how the voting process unfolds in Pakistan:
With an overwhelming 128 million voters participating in electing legislators to both National and provincial assemblies, it’s essential to ensure a smooth and organized voting experience. To avoid any last-minute confusion on election day, voters are advised to ascertain their designated polling station a day prior to the polling process. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has introduced an SMS service to aid in this endeavor.
The Election Commission of Pakistan is set to issue Voter Slips for the upcoming 2024 Election. Accessing your Voter Slip is simple; citizens can create and download it online. Partnering with NADRA, the ECP offers an SMS service for checking registration status. To avail this service, Pakistani citizens can text their ID Card number to 8300 without adding any spaces or dashes. An automated response swiftly follows, providing details about the electoral region name, block code, and serial number.
On election day, voters should bring their original ID card to the specified polling station mentioned in the SMS. Upon arrival, they should join the queue and approach the presiding officer (PO) who will verify their name and electoral number. Once verified, the PO will mark the name from the list and provide two papers – a white voting paper for the provincial parliament and a green paper for the National Assembly. It’s crucial to ensure the presiding officer’s signature and stamp are imprinted on the back of both ballot papers to avoid invalidation.
The presiding officer will then imprint the voter’s thumb impression on the electoral rolls using non-erasable ink. Voters should verify the presence of ECP’s watermark and the official seal on the ballot paper. After entering the polling area and casting their vote for a single candidate, voters should ensure the ink is dry before properly folding the ballot papers. Finally, they should deposit the green ballot paper into the green box and the white ballot paper into the white box.
By following these steps, Pakistani citizens can participate effectively in the electoral process and contribute to shaping the country’s future through their votes.
