ECP to use EVMs in by-polls on experimental basis

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) on an experimental basis during the local bodies elections to ascertain their feasibility for the next general elections.

The expansion and prospects of elections being held through the EVMs will be decided in the light of the results produced by the pilot projects, ECP sources said on Saturday.

In a letter written to the Ministry of Science and Technology regarding the pilot project, the ECP asked for the provision of over 70 EVMs to carry out the experiment.

The commission now awaits a response from the ministry.

The ECP would then proceed to select the province for the pilot project on the basis of the availability of the machines, the sources added.

The Election Commission of Pakistan had last month written to the government for the release of funds and asked for at least 8,00,000 EVMs to be mass-produced for the upcoming general elections.

The letter also asked for a warehouse to keep the 8,00,000 EVMs in a secure place.

The Election Commission of Pakistan on November 23 formed three committees to calculate the expenditure of electronic voting machines and amend the existing rules and regulations for using them in line with a law enacted by a joint sitting of parliament.

The first body – the EVMs and Overseas Voting Technical Committee – will be headed by the ECP secretary. The committee's mandate will be to make recommendations on technologies in the electoral process and to identify international best practices. It will report on the voting procedure for overseas Pakistanis.

The second committee on the expenditure on EVMs, headed by the ECP additional secretary (admin), will present to the commission a report on the fund that would be spent on the machines and e-voting system. The body will also run the pilot testing of the machines and the mechanism for their use.

The committee will make recommendations on the project’s implementation, budget requirements, and storage of machines. Its recommendations will be communicated to the government so that safe storage could be arranged on a short- and long-term basis.

A third committee, headed by the commission’s director general of law, has been set up to make suggestions and recommendations for amendments to the existing laws and rules.