Can Electronic Voting Make Next Elections Fair?

WEB DESK: The cry foul over vote-rigging after an election is a norm in Pakistan. Decrying of irregularities have been heard after recent polls in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) too.

However, to end this practice, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is willing to introduce electronic voting in the country.

Besides, the incumbent government wants to change voting method in Senate election and give voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.

Meanwhile, Senate elections have always remained controversial.

The losing parties accuse the winners of horse-trading. For some, it is more of a money-spinning event for politicians than an election.

What Prime Minister Imran Khan wants?

Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that they were willing to conduct Senate elections under ‘show of hand’ rule instead of secret balloting.

He said that the PTI government wanted to bring electronic voting in the country besides giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote.

However, the government would need to amend the law. For this, it requires the support of the opposition parties in upper and lower houses.What experts say?

Kanwar Dilshad, former Chief Election Commissioner talked to News360 to discuss latest development.

He expressed that next elections in the country could be transparent if the system is introduced.

The electronic voting system is already established around the world, he cited. Even in a big country like India, some complaints of tempering come to the fore.

However, it is termed successful overall, Dilshad said.

How it works?

Electronic voting machines proposed in Pakistan use digitization data of voters’  that would be transferred to the related officials as the vote is casted.

“It will be different from Indian system that follows paperless method hence reducing possibilities of tampering”, ex-official said.

What think tanks recommend?

Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob also talked with News360.

“The electronic voting system is enforced in different parts of the world but glitches emerge”.

He asserted that even electronic voting machines can be manipulated.

Also Read:

History Recurrence Spotted in GB Election as PTI Leads

The official backed secret balloting method in Senate election.

Mehboob said that the opposition parties must not just oppose amendments because of PTI. They should take to decide their course after deliberation.

PILDAT president said that the government would be needing to persuade opposition parties if it wanted to enforce the system.