ECP Effectively Carries Out Mock EMS Exercise

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) successfully executed a trial run of the Election Management System (EMS) on an experimental basis, yielding positive outcomes. The ECP spokesperson reported that presiding officers generally performed satisfactorily during the exercise. However, there were minor issues in transmitting results to some presiding officers due to connectivity challenges at certain points. The spokesperson assured that these challenges were promptly being addressed.

The mock exercise involved a comprehensive trial with the participation of returning officers’ offices at 859 locations nationwide. It covered various aspects, including Fiber/DSL connectivity, EMS app log-in, usage, and the steps for results transmission and editing. Despite the connectivity challenges faced by some presiding officers, the exercise successfully achieved the transmission of results and the compilation of results by returning officers through EMS.

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The primary objective of EMS is to compile and tabulate results at the returning officer level. Throughout the exercise, all returning officers completed the compilation and tabulation of results without encountering any issues. In cases where presiding officers faced difficulty in transmitting results via mobile phone, they were instructed to personally deliver the election results to the returning officer’s office.

In addition to the successful mock exercise, the ECP finalized arrangements to provide comprehensive information about polling stations through SMS to 8300 starting Monday. Voters can now obtain their voting information by sending their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number via SMS to 8300. This service allows each voter to discover the name of their assigned polling station and other relevant voting details. The spokesperson emphasized the importance of voters promptly acquiring this information to avoid any inconvenience at the polling station. It was noted that a service fee of Rs2 per SMS would be applicable for this facility.

The initiative to provide voting information through SMS has been communicated to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Overall, these developments signify the ECP’s commitment to ensuring a smooth and informed electoral process for voters across the country.