The mystery of overseas voters

ECP has made attempts to create an online registration and voting system for overseas Pakistanis

In recent months these columns have noted the efforts of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to create an online registration and voting system for overseas Pakistanis, enabling them to participate in provincial and federal elections. Concerns have been expressed — and largely addressed — as to the accessibility and relative complexity of the process as well as its vulnerability to tampering or rigging. The registration system was activated in time for overseas voters to participate in the elections to be held in 37 constituencies on 14^th of October for national and provincial assemblies. It was expected — widely anticipated — that there would be a rush of registrants out of the 639,909 who met the ECP criteria and according to an ECP press release, just 7,419 have gone through the registration process and may — or may not — cast their votes via the internet.

Considering the human effort and the very considerable expense that the creation of an online voting system for expatriates has incurred, this is a ludicrously small number and begs a host of questions. It appears that the decision to go ahead with overseas voter registration was based on the assumption that they were sufficiently engaged and interested in the political weather of the home country to want to make a contribution by exercising their right to franchise. There was a vocal minority that expressed that view via a number of social media platforms. There does not appear to have been an attempt to enumerate prior to setting the system up just how many might avail themselves of it beyond the Twitterati and the Facebook warriors. The ECP forged ahead in a fog of ignorance in the obviously mistaken impression that it was fulfilling a need, and 7,419 people may or may not cast their votes. We watch with considerable interest. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2018.

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