Electronic voting machines: ECP signs contract for procurement

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken a major step towards acquiring the facility of biometric thumb impression and electronic voting to be used in general election in 2018. The ECP has signed a contract with M/s Smartmatic International Holding BV for the procurement of electronic voting machines (EVMs). A signing ceremony of the contract was held on Friday. M/s Smartmatic International Holding BV will deliver 150 EVMs to conduct the pilot projects.
These EVMs and biometric verification machines (BVMs) will be used in multiple pilot testing in upcoming by-election in the country. All stakeholders like voters, parliamentarians, media, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), observers and general public will be asked to witness the testing of these new technologies to attain the aspect of the inclusiveness and joint consensus.
An international tender was floated for inviting bids of EVMs and BVMs in 2016. Six venders of EVMs and five vendors of BVMs participated in the bidding process including: M/s Smartmatic, M/s Secure Tech, M/s Indra, M/s Reliance (Scytl), National Institute of Electronics (NIE) and National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT).
Out of which three firms of EVMs were technically qualified, including M/s Smartmatic, M/s Indra and M/s Reliance (Scytl), whereas two BVM firms, M/s Secure Tech and M/s Indra, were technically qualified.
Once the EVMs and BVMs will be delivered by the vendors, the same will be used in multiple pilot testing in upcoming by-election in the country. The ECP is getting the facility before the next general election to be held in 2018. However, it is still uncertain if the commission will hold the next elections through electronic voting and biometric machines since provision of electricity in every constituency is necessary for new facility. As many as 300,000 EVMs would be required to conduct general election in 2018 in one phase.