Q 2. What is the qualifying date for enrollment in
the electoral rolls 2006?
Ans.
The qualifying date for enrollment in fresh Electoral List is 1st
January, 2006. Any Pakistani citizen born in the year 1987 is eligible to
be enrolled as a voter, however, a person born in the year 1988 would not be
enrolled as a voter.
Q 3. Can a non-citizen of Pakistan become a
voter?
Ans. No.
Q 4. Can a resident of Azad Kashmir be registered as
a voter?
Ans. No. However, a resident of
Jummu & Kashmir who has settled in Pakistan is eligible to be enrolled.
Q 5. Can a person declared of unsound mind by a
competent court be registered as a voter?
Ans. No
Q 6. If a person works at Islamabad can he be
enrolled as a voter in his native village in Tharparkar district?
Ans. Yes, he can be registered as
a voter provided he owns or possesses some immovable propriety in that
village.
Q 7. Can a person be enrolled at more than one
place?
Ans. No a person cannot be
enrolled as a voter at more than one place. If he is eligible for
enrollment as a voter at more than one place, he will be enrolled only at
one place of his choice.
Q 8. When the right of adult franchise was
granted to the FATAs?
Ans.
During General Elections 1997.
Q 9. If my name does not appear in the preliminary
electoral rolls what should I do?
Ans. In that case you may obtain a
printed form from the Registration Officer/Assistant Election Commissioner
of your area and file it after duly completing with him with Assistant
Registration Officer or with Revising Authority before the date announced
by Election Commission.
Q 10. If I have any objection to an existing
entry or want an existing entry in the electoral roll to be corrected,
what should I do?
Ans. Relevant printed forms may be obtained from the Assistant
Election Commissioner/Registration Officer of the area and may be filed
with him, with the Assistant Registration Officer, or with the Revising
Authority concerned. The Revising Authority after summoning the parties
will decide the objection or the application for correction.
Q. 12 Can I file an objection against the
enrollment of any other person?
Ans.
Yes, if you are a registered voter of the same electoral
area.
Q. 13 What should I do if I want transfer of my
name from one area to another?
Ans.
If you are eligible to be enrolled as voter in more than
one areas you have the option to be enrolled in the area of your choice.
However, if you want to shift your name to another area then you have to
apply to the Registration Officer concerned for the deletion of your name
from the roll in which you have been registered as voter and thereafter
submit an application to the other Registration Officer of the area in
which you want to get yourself enrolled.
Q 14. If I find at any time that my name does not
appear in the electoral roll of my electoral area what remedy is available
to me?
Ans.
The Registration Officers/Assistant Election Officers have
authority to include a name or to amend the rolls at any time. In such an
eventuality an application along with a photo copy of the National
Identity Card can be submitted to the Registration Officer who can order
the inclusion of names in the rolls if the applicant qualifies for the
same.
Q. 15 Can any body get himself enrolled as a
voter till the polling day?
Ans. After a constituency is called upon to elect its
representative i.e. after announcement of election schedule, no amendment
to the electoral roll of that constituency can be made.
Q 16. Can a person get a copy of the electoral
roll or an extract from the electoral roll?
Ans.
Yes any person can get a copy of electoral roll from the
Registration Officer concerned on payment of Rupees Tow per page.
Similarly, an extract from the electoral roll can also be obtained from
the Registration Officer on payment of Rupees Two in the shape of court
fee stamps.
Q 17. Who is the Registration Officer?
Ans.
All the Assistant Election Commissioners of the districts
are the Registration Officers of their respective districts. At the
divisional Headquarters, the Deputy Election Commissioners have also been
assigned the urban areas and they are the Registration Officers for the
purpose.
Q 18 What is the minimum age for becoming a
candidate for National Assembly of Pakistan?
Ans.
Twenty five years.
Q19. What is the minimum age for becoming a
candidate for a Provincial Assembly?
Ans.
25 years.
Q 20. What is the minimum age for contesting
election to the Senate?
Ans.
30 years.
Q 21. What is the minimum age for becoming a
candidate for office of the President?
Ans.
45 years.
Q 22. If a person is registered as a voter in
Peshawar can he contest election to a National Assembly Constituency from
Lahore?
Ans.
Yes. For election to National Assembly a person is
required to be enrolled on any electoral roll any where in the country.
Q 23. Can a person registered as a voter in
Khuzdar (Baluchistan) contest for Provincial Assembly from Mardan (NWFP)?
Ans.
No. For election to a Provincial Assembly the candidate
should be registered as a voter in that province.
Q 24. If some body is convicted for some offence
and he is sentenced to imprisonment for five years can he contest
election?
Ans.
No if a person is sentenced to imprisonment for at least
two years, he cannot contest an election unless a period of five years has
elapsed since his release.
Q 25. Whether a person in the service of Pakistan
or holding any public office can vote through postal ballot?
Ans.
Yes a person in the service of Pakistan or holding a
public office can vote through postal ballot paper if he wishes to cast
his vote at the constituency of his home town.
Q 26. The family members of a government servant
are living with him. Can they also cast their votes by postal ballot?
Ans.
Yes if they are registered as voters.
Q 27. How can the polling personnel cast their
votes?
Ans.
They can also cast their votes through postal ballots
within the dates specified by the Election Commission.
Q 28. Whether overseas Pakistanis are eligible to
vote?
Ans.
Overseas Pakistanis who are present in Pakistan at the
time of election can cast their vote at the polling station concerned if
they are registered as voters. However, voting from aboard is not
permissible under the law.
Q 29. What is the security deposit for election
to National Assembly?
Ans.
Rupees Four thousand only.
Q 30. What is the Security deposit for election
to Provincial Assembly?
Ans.
Rupees Two thousand only.
Q 31. Whether the security deposit is refundable?
Ans.
Yes, the security deposit is refundable within six month
otherwise it shall be forfeited.
Q 32. In
what case a candidate loses his security deposits?
Ans.
A defeated candidate who received
less than one eighth of the total number of votes cast at the election
loses his security deposit.
Q 33. Can a person contest election to the
National Assembly from as many constituencies as he likes?
Ans.
Yes.
Q 34. Can a person retain more than one seats in
the National Assembly if he is elected to all such seats?
Ans.
No, he has to resign from all seats except one.
Q 35. If a person is elected from the National
Assembly as well as a Provincial Assembly seat, can he retain both the
seats?
Ans.
No he must resign one of the seats.
Q 36. What is the number of proposers and
seconders required for subscribing to the nomination of a candidate?
Ans. For each nomination one proposer and one seconder is
required.
Q 37. Who can be the proposer or a seconder?
Ans.
Any voter of that constituency can propose or second a
nomination.
Q 38. How many voters are assigned to a polling
station to vote?
Ans.
Normally 1000-1200 voters are assigned to a polling
station. However, in exceptional cases such number may go up to 1500.
Q 39. How far can a polling station be from your
house?
Ans.
Normally a polling station is about two kilometers away
from the house of a voter
Q 40. How many polling booths are required for a
polling station?
Ans.
The polling booths are made keeping in view the number of
voters assigned to that polling station. However, two to four polling
booths are setup at a polling station.
Q 41. The polling booths are made separately for
female voters or not?
Ans.
Yes. The female voters are assigned separate polling
booths.
Q 42. How many nomination papers can be filed by
a candidate?
Ans.
Not more than five in one constituency.
Q 43. Is it necessary to deposit security for
each nomination paper?
Ans.
No, security once deposited is enough for all the
nominations.
Q 44. Is
female polling staff appointed for the female booths?
Ans.
Yes Female polling staff is appointed at polling booths in the urban areas
but it is not possible to arrange female staff for the female booths in
the rural areas.
Q 45. Are separate polling stations setup for
female voters?
Ans.
Yes. Separate polling stations are setup for female voters
in the urban areas but it is not possible to setup female polling stations
in the rural areas due to non-availability of female staff. However,
separate female booths are provided for female voters.
Q 46. How can a candidate withdraw from the
contest?
Ans.
A validly nominated candidate can withdraw his candidature
by submitting a notice in writing signed by him and delivered to the
Returning Officer on or before the withdrawal date fixed by the Election
Commission.
Q 47. Can a notice of withdrawal be cancelled?
Ans.
A notice of withdrawal in no circumstances can be recalled
or cancelled.
Q 48. How can a contesting candidate retire from
election?
Ans.
A contesting candidate may retire from the contest by a
notice in writing signed by him and delivered to the Returning Officer on
any day not later than four days before the polling day.
Q 49. Can a notice of retirement be delivered by
any person other than the candidate?
Ans.
Yes an agent authorized in writing by such candidate can
submit the notice of retirement to the Returning Officer.
Q 50 If the name of the candidate appears on the
ballot paper after his retirement is accepted, is it necessary to reprint
the ballot papers?
Ans.
No. The name may appear on the ballot paper.
Q 51. Can a voter mark a ballot paper in open in
front of other people sitting in the polling station?
Ans.
No. Under the Constitution election is to be held by
secret ballot. Therefore, the voter is required to mark/stamp the ballot
paper in the screened off compartment in the polling station.
Q 52. How can a blind or incapacitated person
vote?
Ans.
Where an elector is blind or inc
Q 53. If I go to a polling station and find that
some body else has impersonated and cast vote in my place, what can I do?
Ans.
The matter should be brought to the notice of the
Presiding Officer who after satisfying himself will issue a ballot paper
called as "tendered ballot paper" in the same manner as ballot papers are
issued to other electors. The tendered ballot paper shall be kept
separately.
Q 54. Can any person at the polling station cast
the vote after the closing hour of the poll?
Ans.
Any person present within the building, room, tent or
enclosure in which the polling station is situated and is waiting to vote
will be allowed to cast a vote even after the hour fixed for the close of
the poll.
Q 55. What remedy is available to a contesting
candidate who is not satisfied with the result of the election?
Ans.
A candidate can call an election in question by filing an
election petition in the manner prescribed under the law. The election
petitions will be heard and decided by the Election Tribunals appointed by
the Chief Election Commissioner.
Q 56. Some body offers you some money to vote for
a candidate. Can you accept such money?
Ans.
No. Acceptance of such a money is a corrupt practice which
is punishable with imprisonment for a term of three years or with fine up
to five thousand rupees or with both.
Q 57. When an election petition can be filed?
Ans.
The election petition can be filed within 45 days of the
publication of the names of returned candidates in the official gazette.
Q 58. Who can be appointed as an Election
Tribunal?
Ans.
Normally, sitting Judges of the High Courts are appointed
as Election Tribunals.
Q 59. Is the decision of the Election Tribunal
final?
Ans.
The decision of the Election Tribunal is appeal able
before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
