The much anticipated general elections in Pakistan are going to take place on February 8, 2024, here’s a step-by-step guideline to cast your vote and exercise your constitutional right.
The first step is to find out the polling station where you will cast your vote and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s SMS service has made it more convenient for the voter.
Text your Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number to 8300 and make sure to type all the digits without dashes or dashes.
Upon sending your CNIC number, you will receive a block code, serial number, and name of the region.
Bringing your CNIC to the polling place is most important part of the voting process as it is impossible to cast your vote without your CNIC and even the photocopies are not allowed for casting vote.
Moreover, taking mobile phone inside the polling booth is also not allowed, so it is advised to keep your phone at home or keep it at a safe place when coming to cast your vote.
However, there is no restriction on taking picture of your thumb with sign of casted vote after leaving the polling booth premises.
If you are aiming to avoid the long queue, try to arrive early as the voting process will start at 8:00 am and will continue till 5:00 pm.
Once you wait for your time in the queue and your turn comes, the presiding officer will verify your name and electoral number.
Then the presiding officer will mark it off the list to let you know that you have been given two ballots.
It is important to mention here that the presiding officer’s signature and stamp on the back of both papers is compulsory as your vote won’t be accepted without his stamp.
Two ballots will be given to you; white voting paper is for the provincial parliament; the green ballot paper is for the national assembly.
Then the presiding officer will imprint your thumb impression on the electoral rolls using a unique, non-erasable ink. This will be done to show that you’ve casted your vote. This part of ballot paper will be kept by the presiding officers for record.
Few things to make sure:
- ECP’s watermark
- Official nine-matrix seal
- Not a paper or anything else attached to it
- Does not have stamps on more than one candidate’s election symbols
When the presiding officer step completes then you’ll be taken to the polling place. Its is your right to verify that there is no one else inside close to you when you are there and make sure the ink is dry prior to folding the ballot papers after stamping both of them.
Go towards the voting booths and insert the green ballot paper into the green box and the white ballot paper into the white box.
Now you have successfully exercised your right to vote.
Here’s the video guideline for casting vote;
