ISLAMABAD – Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad on Thursday said that the commission will use 100 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in upcoming NA-4 Peshawar by-election on trial basis, to be held on October 26.
Addressing a press conference, the secretary ECP said that these machines will be placed in 100 polling booths of 35 polling stations with having 47,255 total voters.
He said that services of 100 operators will be hired to assist the voters. He added the processing time of casting one vote through these machines will take 20 seconds, adding this new technology is being introduced in by-election to examine the performance and functioning of the machines and to record voters’ problems in using this technology.
The secretary said that there will be no effect on the result of by-election with use of these machines as this is just a pilot project, and legally 12 countries were using EVMs in their elections wholly or partially, he added.
He said that the commission will compile its report after use of these machines in Peshawar by-election and submit it ti the parliament, adding under article-103 of new election act 2017, EVM machines will be used as pilot project. There will be no linkage of these machines with the internet during election process, the secretary said.
