New platform for overseas voters
Only those registered as legal voters will be able to vote in October 14 bypolls
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has launched its i-voting online platform, to allow around 7.9 million Pakistanis living abroad to cast their vote in the upcoming bypolls scheduled for October 14.
The ECP is holding byelections in 37 constituencies for both national and the provincial assemblies’ seats on the said date.
Under the i-voting system, overseas Pakistanis can register to vote on the ECP’s website, based on the constituencies where they were previously registered as voters.
Registration for i-voting opened yesterday and is scheduled to end on September 15. Overseas Pakistanis possessing valid machinereadable passports can register as voters within the stipulated time.
ECP public relations director-general Nadeem Qasim said that after registration closes, voter lists will be handed over to returning officers and names of overseas voters included in the voters list. But, these voters would not be able to cast their votes manually in Pakistan.
The Overseas Voting System (www.overseasvoting.gov.pk) has listed these constituencies for voting on the website’s home page.
However, the voter pass — a pass code provided by the system to the registered voters — will be issued from October 10 to October 14 and votes will be cast online from 8am until 5pm (Pakistan Standard Time).
Only those overseas Pakistanis registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan would be eligible for voting. Eligible voters must complete a two-step process for online registration, Qasim said, adding that the online voting registration system was developed with the help of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).
It is a pilot project and overseas Pakistanis could register to exercise their right to franchise in the upcoming by-elections across Pakistan.
More than 700,000 overseas Pakistanis will be able to get their vote registered through the newly developed system. They can access the Overseas Voting System online and create an account, after which a unique ‘voter pass’ will be mailed to them.