(Daily Point) — In a country where electoral misconduct poses a threat to the democratic process, the Election Commission of Pakistan has taken steps to safeguard voters’ rights.

Addressing the issue of “Tendered votes” as outlined in Section 77 of the 2017 Election Rules, the Commission aims to ensure no eligible voter is disenfranchised.

If a voter arrives at the polling station only to find their ballot has already been submitted without their knowledge, they must prove their identity with a valid National Identity Card (CNIC). Upon verification, they receive a tendered ballot paper, which they mark in privacy but cannot directly deposit into the ballot box. Instead, it goes into a special envelope.

To rectify the situation, the Presiding Officer records the voter’s thumb impression and signature on Form-43 for tendered votes. However, if the initial vote cast in the voter’s name is valid, it will be counted. The Presiding Officer then submits the counterfoil and thumb impression of the impersonator to the Election Commission, which collaborates with NADRA to identify them and take appropriate action.

Failure to substantiate claims of fraudulent voting may lead to penalties. During the counting process, both the fake and impersonated votes contribute to the total count for each candidate, while tendered votes are tallied separately and returned to their designated bag after the count. Form-45 includes a distinct column for tendered votes, reflecting their impact on the final count of each constituency.