Social Media Concerned about ECP’s move to change polling stations

Along with the political instability, and people’s views regarding it on social media, another thing that is talk of the town these days is ECP’s change of polling stations without informing. Regarding this social media, users came to the internet to report this issue and complained that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) changed their voter registration data without prior information.

These shocking revelations were made when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) asked citizens to check their voter registration data with ECP by sending their CNIC to 8300.

Check your vote registration by sending CNIC at 8300 via sms. If you don’t have your vote registered, please download, fill and submit Form 21 (available at https://t.co/vnyfZBQpBm) to ECP with copy of CNIC to District Election Commission office. #Register2Vote pic.twitter.com/Q0yEeqW9Hv

— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 31, 2022

Many people revealed that their polling stations are moved to far-flung areas as compared to their previous. voting sites. Shockingly, some also revealed that their votes had been canceled since they were declared expired.

Many people shared the screenshot of their previous location and revealed that now they are moved miles apart.

Complaints against ECP are valid. My original polling station was some 700m away but shifted to another place which is 6KM away

Numerous people are reporting that stations were shifted to either remote villages or entirely different cities

This is pre-poll rigging in my opinion

— Hassan Khan (@mhassankhan06) June 1, 2022

Another Twitter user revealed that instead of giving people ease of voting, people are thrown 100 miles away from their previous voting area. They believe that electric commission has come purpose behind it.

ECP has changed polling addresses for most of the voters without a reason. Some voters have been thrown as far as few hundred miles.
We know that the Election Commission is doing this on purpose. This is pre-election rigging.

— AzHaR iQbaL (@MeR503) June 1, 2022

Many journalists also took to Twitter to discuss this issue. Journalist Amir Zia questioned if the move was aimed at exploiting the polls.

Here’s another journalist:

I have ECP messages from Sept and Dec 2021. The polling stations were old ones. When did the change to new polling station happen? Checking up with family and friends, this isn’t just limited to Karachi. https://t.co/eNgFSmfz5E

— SJ (@SumairaJajja) June 1, 2022

Many social media users were concerned about this move and were of the opinion that this change is made with an aim to make it difficult for PTI voters to reach for casting votes. However, some also believed that there is something quite wrong with the system of ECP and they should come forward toa address the issue.

Also Read: ECP Asks for Further Legislation on the Use of EVMs for Future Elections