Over 260 million ballot papers printed

With only a few days left until the February 8 general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Friday the successful completion of the printing of ballot papers for all constituencies.

In a briefing on the process, the Director General Political Finance emphasised the sensitivity of paper and printing in ensuring the voters' rights. "Our goal is to bring the voter's right closer to them. The printing of ballot papers commenced on January 14 and concluded today," he declared.

Over 260 million ballot papers were produced, distinguished by colour – green for the National Assembly and white for provincial assemblies. The entire process took place across three printing presses, each subject to special security arrangements.

The distribution of printed ballot papers includes 5% single-column, 50% double-column, 30% three-column, 11.15% four-column, and 2.4% five-column formats.

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Meanwhile, Form 45 is also being printed and dispatched alongside the ballot papers.

He said that the total number of candidates in the 2024 election has surged by 54.74% compared to the 2018 figures, leading to a 194.75% increase in the requirement for special papers.

To curb wastage during printing, the size of the ballot papers has been reduced, decreasing the demand for special paper from 2400 tonnes to 2170 tonnes.

The DG political finance acknowledged that 49 cases related to the election process have been presented in the SC, while ballot papers have been reprinted for 16 constituencies as per the court's directives.

Moreover, ballot papers for constituencies in Balochistan have also been successfully delivered.

In response to security concerns and challenging weather conditions in certain regions, air shipments have been employed to ensure a secure and efficient delivery process.

Furthermore, the delivery of ballot papers for all districts, excluding 33 districts, has been completed.