Elections in Jan ‘24: How you can register to vote in Pakistan

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set a new date for the general election in January, which is about three months later than originally planned. This decision was made to clear up confusion about when the election would happen and to help the struggling economy. 

In this article, we will explain how you can sign up to vote in the upcoming election. 

To register to vote, you need to send in an application along with a copy of your Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to the District Election Commissioner (DEC), Registration Officer, or Assistant Registration Officer in the district where you want to vote.

You can find the necessary forms online on the ECP website or get them for free at the offices of the District Election Commissioner, Registration Officer, Assistant Registration Officer, or Display Centre Incharge. 

To be eligible to vote, you must meet these criteria: 

(a) You must be a citizen of Pakistan.  

(b) You must be at least eighteen years old.  

(c) You need to have a CNIC issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) up until the last day for submitting claims, objections, and applications for updating the voter list.  

(d) You must not have been declared legally unfit (unsound mind) by a court.  

(e) You must either live in the area where you want to vote or be considered a resident under section 27. 

Even if your NADRA ID has expired, it’s still valid for registering to vote or casting your vote in an election.