The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), on Wednesday, launched a text-messaging service for voter-detail verification, along with announcing a three-week extension for registration and corrections.
By sending their National Identity Card (NIC) number (without hyphens) to the number ‘8300,’ users can find out if they are registered to vote and their voting area.
“The ECP is using state of the art SMS technology to facilitate over 80 million voters to get first-hand information about their vote registration and a subsequent preparation of error-free computerised electoral rolls,” ECP’s secretary said.
While the service has been welcomed by prospective voters, its success – in terms of registrations, corrections and awareness – can only be judged after the completion of the three-week period.
Dawn.com invites its readers to share their views and experience of the service.
Have you used the ECP text-messaging service?
How effective will this service be in the rural areas, where the majority of the vote bank lies?
Do you feel comfortable sharing your NIC number?
How will the ECP ensure it gathers size-able feedback from the masses?
Once NADRA database exists voter lists should be based on the information therein. However, any other means to further verify voter list accuracy should be adopted.
In the meanwhile people should be encouraged to get computerized ID cards, the only credible identification document acceptable for casting the vote.
NADRA should do extra efforts to clean its database as much as possible before printing on electoral rolls.
In Computer age with so many local IT trained people in Pakistan this is not a big deal…
Yes, I used the service and got a prompt response. I am, however, among the unluck ones whose vote is registered in a wrong place. I never lived in Rawalpindi and never voted there during last elections. Both my permanent and temporary addresses on my CNIC are not in Rawalpindi but still my vote is registered there. ECP does not provide clear guidance on how to rectify mistakes especially those that are NADRA’s doing basically. I have been calling different offices and have not received uniform guidance. Establishing the SMS service is commendable but what will make it real useful is a clear follow up guidance. Come election time, ECP should introduce a service so people can also find their polling station through SMS which is not being provided now.