In a crucial development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has successfully completed the printing of ballot papers for the upcoming general elections. Out of the 849 constituencies across national and provincial assemblies, approximately 85% of the ballot papers have been dispatched. Following a directive from the Supreme Court, ballot papers for 16 constituencies were reprinted.
During an unofficial briefing to the media, DG Political Finance Masood Akhtar Sherwani highlighted the sensitivity of ballot paper printing, emphasizing the importance of ensuring voters’ rights are accurately represented. The printing process commenced on January 14 and concluded on February 2.
Masood Akhtar Sherwani revealed that a staggering 260 million ballot papers have been printed this time. Green ballot papers are designated for the National Assembly, while white papers are assigned for the Provincial Assembly. The intricate task of printing the ballots was distributed across three printing presses, each equipped with heightened security measures.
The ballot papers exhibit variations in formatting, including 5% single-column, 50% double-column, 30% triple-column, 11.15% four-column, and 2.4% five-column layouts. Alongside the ballot papers, Form 45 is also being printed and dispatched to polling stations.
Comparing the current elections to those in 2018, Sherwani noted a significant increase of 54.74% in the number of candidates. This surge has necessitated an additional 194.75% of special paper for the ballots. Despite the challenges, including a 10% paper wastage during printing, efforts were made to reduce the paper requirement from 24 tons to a maximum of 2170 tons by minimizing the size of the ballot papers.
Sherwani further detailed that Form 45, which provides the official results of the polls, is an essential component of the election process. The meticulous planning and execution in the printing of ballots and associated documents underscore the Election Commission’s commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections in Pakistan.
As the printing of ballot papers concludes, the electoral landscape is set for the next phase, where voters will exercise their democratic right to choose their representatives.
