ECP unfreezes electoral lists till Oct 25

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday unfroze the electoral rolls for public convenience with immediate effect till October 25.

According to the Election Commission’s Media Outreach and Coordination Wing, “The Election Commission has decided to unfreeze the electoral rolls, which were frozen under Section 39 Elections Act, 2017, on July 20, 2023, for the convenience of the general public with immediate effect till October 25, 2023”.

All eligible persons have been requested to ensure the accuracy of the data according to the registration, exclusion, and transfer of vote according to their national identity card by October 25.

Section 39 of the act says, “No revision, correction or transfer after constituency called upon to elect.— (1) No revision of or correction in an electoral roll of an electoral area or inclusion or transfer of a vote from the electoral roll of an electoral area to the electoral roll of another electoral area shall be made nor shall any order under Section 38 be made in respect of any electoral roll during the period beginning thirty days before the day on which the term of an Assembly or a local government is due to expire (hereinafter referred to as ‘the cut-off date’) till announcement of the results of the general election to the Assembly or the local government but it shall not apply to an election to fill a casual vacancy in an Assembly or a local government”.

“(2) In case of an election to fill a casual vacancy to an Assembly or a local government, no revision of or correction in an electoral roll of an electoral area or inclusion or transfer of a vote from the electoral roll of an electoral area to the electoral roll of another electoral area shall be made nor shall any order under Section 38 be made in respect of any electoral roll at any time after the constituency of which such electoral area forms part has been called upon to elect its representative and before such representative has been elected.

(3) The Commission shall, through press release and its website, inform the general public about the cut-off date for revision of or correction in an electoral roll of an electoral area or inclusion or transfer of a vote from the electoral roll of an electoral area to the electoral roll of another electoral area,” it says.