ISLAMABAD: With the polling day fast approaching, understanding the forms related to compiling and tabulating election results would be helpful for the people directly involved in the polling process.
After the votes are polled, the uphill task is of counting vote accurately. There are some crucial forms related to the result compilation that everyone participating in the polling process needs to know about. These are Form 45, Form 46, Form 47, Form 48, and Form 49.
These forms are related to the Result Compilation System of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Form 45
Form 45, also known as the Presiding Officer (PO)’s Results of the Count, is a form that the PO is required to sign and provide with his thumb impression and signature to the polling agents.
This form records the number of votes cast at a polling station. It also separately mentions how many votes a candidate received from that particular polling station. The purpose of introducing this form is to prevent any alteration during the election process, ensuring transparency in the results. This form is also admissible in court.
Form 46
Form 46 maintains the count for the ballot papers. It has the number of ballot papers received for a polling station, the number of ballot papers taken out of the ballot box, tendered ballot papers, challenged, spoiled, stray and cancelled ballot papers at a particular polling station.
Form 47
In Form 47, the count of votes from all the polling stations of a constituency is recorded by the Returning Officer. This makes a provisional consolidated result of the constituency sans postal ballots. A postal ballot is a ballot of a registered voter and it is filled and sent by an eligible voter to the RO concerned by postal mail.
Form 48
Form 48 is the Consolidated Statement of Results of the Count showing votes each candidate got at every polling station within a constituency. This document also includes the number of postal ballots.
Form 49
This is the final and Official Consolidated Result Form also carrying the names of the candidates, their party affiliations and the number of votes received in the constituency. It is prepared constituency-wise and contains the total number of votes obtained by each candidate. This form is published in the Gazette of Pakistan.
From the result of the count to the final consolidated result, each form plays a significant role in ensuring transparency and accuracy in the election process.
