ECP forms committees to implement legislation on EVMs, internet voting

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has formed committees to implement legislation on electronic voting machines (EVMs) and i-voting, days after the joint session of Parliament approved bills regarding them, ARY NEWS reported.

According to the ECP, three committees have been formed with one looking into its technical aspects, the second one determining the expenditure to be incurred on the process and the third one suggesting lacunas in the legislation and rules.

The technical committee would be headed by the secretary of the election commission and would look into the working of the EVMs and internet voting. The committee would prepare a request for proposal (RFP) and identify where they could be used.

The second committee would be led by an additional secretary admin and it would determine the expenditure to be incurred on adopting voting through EVMs and internet voting. The body would also devise a mechanism for pilot testing and the use of the machines.

The ECP shared that a third committee would be headed by director-general law and it would suggest on amendments in currently applied legislation and rules with regard to the EVM and internet voting.

On November 18, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary said on he is not sure that electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used in the next general election.

Speaking at a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice, the secretary said it is not clear whether the EVMs would be used in the next election or not.

He maintained there are challenges in using EVMs that need to go through 14 stages of trials before they are used in the general election due in 2023.

The commission will have to run three to four pilot projects before using voting machines in the election, he added.