The 2024 General Elections in Pakistan are recognized as the most costly in the nation’s history. ECP estimated expenses at Rs 42 billion, representing a 26 percent increase from the previous general elections.
The total expenditure for the general elections would exceed Rs 49 billion, according to ECP sources. This includes security and other arrangements by provincial governments.
The ECP marked all preparations for elections as ‘completed’. The extensive efforts of political parties and independent candidates to persuade voters came to an end.
The initial budget allocated for the general elections was Rs42 billion. This mad it 26 percent more expensive than the 2018 elections and the priciest in Pakistan’s history.
A significant portion of the election budget went for printing ballot papers, deploying law enforcement agencies, and compensating polling staff.
On February 4, the ECP successfully printed 260 million ballot papers for all constituencies nationwide.
ECP officials revealed that this time, they ordered the printing of a total of 260 million ballot papers. This marked a 54.74% increase in candidates compared to the 2018 elections. There was a 195% surge in demand for special security paper. The efficient management reduced the requirement from 2400 tonnes to 2177 tonnes.
Number of Polling Stations
For the upcoming elections, 2024, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has established 92,000 polling stations across the country.
According to the ECP’s scheme draft, Punjab will have a total of 52,412 polling stations for the general elections.
Among these, 6,040 polling stations in Punjab designated as highly sensitive, while 15,617 are classified as sensitive.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the ECP established a total of 15,737 polling stations. it identified 4,726 as highly sensitive and 6,180 as sensitive.
In Sindh, 4,718 polling stations fall into the category of normal, 6,576 as sensitive, and 7,802 as highly sensitive. Likewise, polling stations in Balochistan number 5,015.
