Voting machine: ‘Conventional’ ballot papers likely to be used in 2018 polls

ECP will need more than 200 million ballot papers for the next electoral exercise

ISLAMABAD: In a sign that it has virtually abandoned the proposal of using electronic voting machines, the Election Commission of Pakistan has begun preparations for ballot paper procurement well ahead of the 2018 general election.

On Monday, the poll supervisory body convened a meeting of all stakeholders to review arrangements for printing ballot papers.

Following the 2013 general elections, the ECP had proposed the use of EVMs in the next general elections. However, the proposal is still at a nascent stage and unlikely to be enforced by 2018 due to technical and legal hitches.

According to a hand-out, the election commission would need more than 200 million ballot papers for the next general elections.

The cabinet secretary informed the meeting that the Printing Corporation of Pakistan have the capacity of printing 135 million ballot papers within 20 days, if it utilises its old and new machines.



The only lacuna for old printing machines is that they do not print numbers on ballot papers. The Printing Corporation of Pakistan has 15 new state-of-the-art printing machines that could print numbers on ballot papers as well.

If only new machines are used, these could print only 40 million ballot papers in 20 days. Pakistan Security Printing Corporation Chairman Misbah Tunio claimed that his organisation can print about 75 million ballot papers in 20 days before the elections with their latest printing press. Similarly, Pakistan Post claims that it has the capacity of printing 100 million ballot papers with their latest machines within 20 days.

Normally, there is a gap of at least 20 days between publishing of the final list of contestants in a constituency and the polling day. The election commission has to get ballot papers printed during this period.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2016.