The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has stated that electronic voting machines (EVMs) and internet voting will not be permitted in the general election scheduled for October this year.
Despite modifications to the Elections Act, 2017, which were ratified in the joint session of parliament in November last year, the ECP, according to media sources, is not ready to deploy the technology for a variety of reasons.
One of the main reasons is a lack of time to finish the time-consuming technology selection procedure.
“The EVMs require repeated pilot projects, trials, and tests before being adopted. The process, even if expedited, can at least take four to five months,” an ECP official privy to the matter said.
He further stated that procuring the machines through internal/international tenders could take up to six months because these technological devices are neither available in bulk, i.e. 700,000-800,000, as required by the ECP, nor could they be bought immediately from worldwide markets.
After the procurement process is completed, the next phase is to acquire public, political, and other stakeholder trust in the technology transfer. This would be difficult because rural areas have a larger electorate.
“More than half of Pakistan’s over 220 million population is eligible for voting and switching to the new technology would not be easy,” he said, warning that Pakistan could not afford controversy in elections.
To ensure a peaceful election, the official stated that broad awareness campaigns and polling staff training would be essential.
Despite the challenges, Sikandar Sultan Raja, the Chief Election Commissioner, has stated his intention to continue with similar efforts to boost the use of technology in elections.
To read our blog on “The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) cost Rs. 59 billion to buy, E-voting system installation and data center setup,” click here.
