Polls in Pakistan: 10 data points to explain the elections

1. 128 million registered voters

Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world, with a population of 241 million. Roughly 128 million (69 million male, 59 million female) are registered voters, though turnout is likely to be significantly lower. The 2018 elections saw a voter turnout of under 52%, with the highest ever turnout, 61%, being recorded in 1971.

2. 44% voters under age of 35

Pakistan is a young country, with a median age of only 20. This explains the disparity between Pakistan’s population and its registered voters, with a huge section of the population yet to turn 18, the legal age to vote in Pakistan. Even among registered voters, 44% are under the age of 35, making the youth the single most important demographic in the upcoming elections.

3. 266 directly-elected seats in National Assembly

Voters will be voting to directly elect 266 representatives to Pakistan’s National Assembly, the lower house of its bicameral parliamentary system. Like India, Pakistan follows a first-past-the-post system, meaning the candidate receiving the highest number of votes in a given constituency is elected as its representative.

4. 60 seats reserved for women, 10 for non-Muslims

In addition to the above-mentioned 266 seats, the National Assembly also reserves 60 seats for women, and 10 seats for non-Muslims. These are allocated to political parties proportional to their performance in the national elections.

5. 173 seats for Punjab

Pakistan has 4 provinces — Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — and the Islamabad Capital Territory. The population of these provinces wary wildly, and consequently, so do the number of seats they hold in the National Assembly. Punjab, with 141 seats (plus 32 seats reserved for women) is by far the most important province, followed by Sindh (61, plus 14 reserved), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (45, plus 10 reserved), Balochistan (16, plus 4 reserved) and Islamabad (3).

6. 5,121 candidates

The Election Commission of Pakistan has registered 5,121 candidates for the upcoming elections — an average of just over 19 candidates per seat. Of these, 4,806 (nearly 94%) are males, and only 312 are female. There are also 2 transgender candidates in the running.

7. 167 registered parties

These candidates belong to either one of 167 political parties registered with the Election Commission, or are independents. The major parties contesting are Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), and Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari-led Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has been barred from contesting under its election symbol, and thus, its candidates will be contesting as independents.

8. 90,582 polling stations

On February 8, citizens will cast their vote in one of 90,582 polling stations spread across the country. These polling stations are categorised as ‘highly sensitive’ (roughly 17,500 stations), ‘sensitive’ (32,508), and ‘normal’ (roughly 42,500). Unlike India, Pakistan does not use electronic voting machines, relying instead on ballot boxes.

9. Near 30% inflation, devaluation of currency top issues

Heading into the elections, Pakistan’s economy is in doldrums, and is likely the single most pressing issue for voters. Inflation is nearing the 30% mark, and over the past two years, Pakistan’s currency, the Pakistani Rupee, has shed nearly 50% of its value compared to the US Dollar. Currently, Pakistan is receiving a $3 billion bailout from the IMF, which has led to further cuts in social spending, polarising the populace.

10. 100s of PTI workers arrested

Pakistan’s elections have always been mired with allegations of malpractice — this election is no different. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, one of the most popular political figures in Pakistan, is under arrest on multiple charges, and PTI has been barred from contesting elections. PTI has alleged that the authorities have arrested hundreds of party workers, and candidates. It is yet to be seen how the Pakistani public will react to PTI’s sidelining.

Data courtesy the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Census of 2023, IMF, Dawn.

This is the first part of our series of explainers on the 2024 Pakistan elections. To read the second part on the key players, click here.  For the third part on the history of Pakistan’s fraught experiments with democracy, click here. For the fourth part on the Pakistan military’s influence on the country’s politics, click here.