ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday decided to extend the polling time for the July 25 general election by an hour in order to ensure the maximum participation of the voters.It is first in electoral history of Pakistan that polling time has been extended for an hour.The ECP announced that as per the revised timings, polling will now continue from 8:00am to 6:00pm without break, enabling registered voters to exercise their voting right during these 10 hours.In the past, what the ECP could do was to only allow those voters, who were present inside the polling stations to cast their vote after the end of scheduled time. However, to what extent, this measure encourages voters to be part of the polling process.It depends how political parties and contesting candidates motivate registered voters to brave harsh summer days to come out of their homes and line up outside polling stations for voting.Meanwhile, the deadline for candidates to submit their party tickets and for those who wanted to withdraw their nomination papers ended at 4:00pm on Friday as many candidates withdrew their nomination papers. After election tribunals wrapped up verdicts on appeals against objections to the decisions of returning officers on June 27, the revised list of candidates was issued on June 28.Today was the last day for candidates vying to contest the general election 2018 to submit their party tickets and for those unwilling to take part in the poll contest to withdraw their nomination papers. Moreover, the ECP stated that it would announce the polling scheme and final list of candidates with electoral symbols today (Saturday).It is mandatory for the candidates to submit their party tickets in order to be allotted electoral symbols. Those who fail to do so will be considered independent candidates.The ECP stated that the final list of candidates will be displayed at the offices of the returning officers and district returning officers tomorrow, following which it will be uploaded on the commission's website.Moreover, the electoral body asserted that candidates will have a total of 23 days to hold their campaigns, as all campaigning will seize 48 hours before polling.Preparations of the upcoming elections are under way, with the ECP making arrangements to ensure smooth and transparent elections.On June 26, the polling scheme for Lahore was finalised, which contained constituency-wise lists of polling stations, number of registered voters, and other relevant details. Similar schemes for other areas are yet to be announced.The printing of ballot papers will commence from July 1 at printing presses in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi under the supervision of the army.According to sources, 210 million ballot papers will be printed with more than Rs2 billion being spent on the exercise, making it the most expensive venture in the history of the country's elections.The ballot papers are said to carry a watermark, something which none of the previous papers had. The distribution of ballot papers will also be conducted under the army's supervision.
from The News International - Top Story
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