Pakistan’s Election Commission has disclosed the final polling scheme for the upcoming February 8 elections, unveiling plans for over 90,000 polling stations catering to 128 million voters, news agency PTI reported. This announcement comes after the election body twice missed the legal deadline to reveal the plan at least 30 days ahead of the elections.
According to the Elections Act 2017’s Section 59 (6), the final list of polling stations for each constituency must be published at least 30 days before polling day in the official gazette and on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) website.
90,675 polling stations with 2,76,402 polling booths
The unveiled plan categorizes polling stations across all provinces and the federal capital as normal, sensitive, or highly sensitive based on security considerations and electoral violence history. The distribution includes 90,675 polling stations with 276,402 polling booths to accommodate the vast number of 128 million voters.
However, it’s worth noting that if the legal requirements had been followed, the number of polling stations would have exceeded 107,000, each with four polling booths. The current establishment of over 150,000 fewer polling booths raises concerns about the logistical challenges of accommodating all voters, even with the possibility of extended polling times in case of high turnout.
The breakdown of polling stations includes 50,944 in Punjab, 19,006 in Sindh, 15,697 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and 5,028 in Balochistan for the upcoming general elections.
Hurdles for the ECP
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan faces challenges as the judiciary continues to permit candidates to contest elections or change their poll symbols. The printing of ballot papers for constituencies featuring these candidates has already been completed, raising concerns about the tight schedule for printing and the logistical hurdles of timely transportation to constituencies across the country.
As of now, approximately 260 million ballot papers are being printed for the 128 million voters, adding an additional layer of complexity to the election preparations. The Election Commission navigates these challenges as it strives to conduct a fair and efficient electoral process for the Pakistani electorate.