By Chaudhary Tahir (Pakistan)
As we’ve witnessed the general elections of 2024 which were held in a way that is blamed to be rigged brought political instability in Pakistan and had serious repercussions on the country’s economy, stability, institutions, and relations with other nations. In an era called the era of technology and rights, where everything has been digitalized and everyone is well aware of his/her freedoms and rights, the concept of rigged and unfair elections feels peculiar and out of place. Today’s world is a digitalized and automated world, where everything is going smoothly and transparently; the record and data process is so fast nowadays that handling the issue of rigging is not a difficult task. Technology can easily ensure the transparency and integrity of elections by keeping up the correct records, maintaining proper checks and balances on the voting system, and preventing the involvement of external stakeholders and pressure groups.
In this respect, adopting the system of Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) can be a significant advancement, and a crucial step in enhancing and ensuring the fairness and integrity of elections in Pakistan, a country where the involvement of external interference specifically from the establishment remains a big question mark in the accuracy and transparency of elections every time governments are made. Such issues create an environment of uncertainty and confusion in the country during every election period, which directly impacts the outcome of elections and the working of governments.
The traditional system of voting, depending on Ballot Papers, has failed to ensure transparency and integrity and has been facing allegations of electoral fraud and rigging for multiple decades. These problems have created a shadow of darkness and controversies over the legitimacy and reliability of the election process in the country.
However, the introduction of EVMs has raised a ray of hope, and can add to the legitimacy of the voting process, and with the potential of transforming the way of elections can help to ensure the fairness of elections in the democratic framework of Pakistan. With a secure way of voting and counting, the EVM system can prevent anyone from electoral fraud and rigging.
Unlike the conventional Ballot Paper system, EVM having advanced technology offers an opportunity to safeguard the voting rights of the citizens in the country. One of the major advantages of EVMs is their ability to streamline the voting process. By this ability, to provide every voter with the previous voting results slips, EVMs minimize the chances of fraud and illegal ways to increase cities of any specific candidate. By ending the need for manual counting, EVMs directly and speedily declare the results which lessens the probability and time of electoral fraud and the involvement of any external factor.
The previous government of Imran Khan from 2018 to 2022 tried hard and took potential steps towards implementing the EVM system in the country but faced strong resistance from different sectors and opposition and ultimately failed in implementing the digitalization of voting systems.
The general elections of 2024 have once again raised the need for EVMs in Pakistan’s electoral process to eradicate the rigging problem and ensure the transparency of elections. The present government needs to take serious steps towards this because all the parties have to work for democratic principles if they want to work independently. Otherwise, like every time, the person will change but the process will not and anyone else can also come under the same circumstances, PTI is facing.
The country is standing at the bank of democratic death, and even a single democratic failure now will drown the country in the depths of unfair and illegitimate authoritarian governance. The successful adoption of EVMs can be the biggest milestone of democratic parties towards the restoration of democracy in Pakistan and can be a game changer for the country’s future. All the political actors need to step forward and join hands in implementing electronic voting systems pulling illegal forces out of the power and minimising their influence. Pakistan needs a strong democracy to move forward toward development and prosperity and EVM can be an impactful way for this.
The writer is associated with School of Politics and International Relations at Quaid-e – Azam University Islamabad.
This Post Has 5 Comments
A well-researched and thought-provoking article on the potential of electronic voting systems in Pakistan. The analysis of benefits and challenges is particularly insightful.
I completely agree with the author’s emphasis on the need for secure and transparent voting processes,Electronic voting systems are the way forward.
A well-researched and thought-provoking article on the potential of electronic voting systems in Pakistan. The analysis of benefits and challenges is particularly insightful in your writing.
i completely agree with your point to emphasis on the need for secure and transparent voting processes.
Literally 2024’s election’s results based on fraud and interference of some powerful parties ۔۔
Your article may be a welcome step for electronic secure and accurate voting system in Pakistan(inshallah)
Great insight….Thought-provoking article! I’d love to hear more about the author’s perspective on this.
I totally agree with the idea I think we should work on EVM system and implement it in Pakistan in oder to make sure pure clean voting .
The author highlights a crucial point about the urgency of adopting Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to address the long-standing issues in Pakistan’s electoral process. The resistance faced in the past from various factions shows how deeply embedded the fear of change is within the system. With the 2024 elections looming, it’s clear that relying on outdated methods can no longer guarantee fairness or transparency. The country’s democratic survival is at stake, and the failure to act now could result in a permanent shift toward undemocratic governance. The success of EVMs could be a game changer, giving political parties an opportunity to reclaim democratic integrity and protect the future of Pakistan. It’s a defining moment for all parties to work collectively towards restoring the people’s trust in the system.