Pilot project: ECP to go hi-tech for transmission of results

Will also be introducing online mapping of polling stations in Islamabad Capital Territory LG polls

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will begin transmitting result forms directly from 200 polling stations via smartphones to its secretariat during the November 30 local government (LG) polls in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The move comes a few months after election officials tested out the technology during the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by-election.

Presiding officers will photograph result forms using their smartphone and transmit it electronically to the central computer server instantly on real-time basis.

The images of the result forms will be time stamped and marked with a location based service. Only a presiding officer of the respective polling station will be able to transmit the images via his cellphone.



In case, there will be any mobile signal related issue then the system shall automatically be able to transmit the results as soon as it comes under the mobile signal zone on way to returning officers office.

A spokesman for the poll body said that the use of modern technology would help make the system transparent and auditable. At the same time, it would build up trust and confidence of people in the ECP.

Online mapping

For the first time, the poll body would also be introducing online mapping of polling stations for the LG elections in the ICT as another pilot project.

Using the ECP website (www.ecp.gov.pk), voters, polling agents, media and observers can locate and identify any polling station. The portal now features locations of each polling station, displayed in a satellite map.

Searchers will have to write down name of a union council and ward to gain access to location information of the polling station and a local constituency.

“The photos and map locations are compiled under the direction of the returning officers and though the ECP has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate information, any discrepancies or differences between this website and the polling scheme published by the district returning officer have no legal effect,” the spokesman said.

“We hope that this pilot project will help to facilitate voters’ access and increase transparency in the polling process. All the interested people are encouraged to visit the ECP website and utilise the new functionality,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th,  2015.