Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan Sikandar Sultan Raja instructed all Presiding Officers (POs) to get Form-45, signed by themselves, and then get signed by polling agents.
Furthermore, ECP CEC instructed all presiding officers to display form-45 outside the polling stations.
The chief election commissioner said: “If any officer violates the directions, strict such action will be taken against those presiding officers”.
What is Form-45?
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) made changes in the Form 45.
Form 45 is used for counting results and has now changes have been made in it.
According to the ECP, the date and time will also be entered in Form 45. The Commission said that objections to the amendment can be submitted till October 20.
Form 45, commonly referred to as the “Result of the Count” form, is a crucial record in the Pakistani electoral process. It is intended to uphold openness and accountability by documenting and disclosing the outcomes of the voting procedure at a particular polling place.
Here are some key points about Form 45 and its role in Pakistan's elections:
- Purpose: Providing a formal record of the vote results at a specific polling place is the main goal of Form 45. To compile and verify results at the constituency level, it acts as a crucial record.
- Contents: Important details on Form 45's contents include the polling station’s number, the name of the constituency, the total number of registered voters, the total number of votes cast, and a breakdown of the votes each candidate earned.
- Signatures: Form 45 is signed by the Presiding Officer, who is in charge of monitoring the voting procedure at the polling place. In order to verify the correctness of the results that were recorded, the polling representatives of the candidates who were present at the voting place also signed the form as witnesses.
- Transparency and Verification: Form 45 is essential for maintaining transparency in the electoral process voting process. It enables candidates and their representatives to confirm the outcomes noted at the polling place and contrast them with the final results. This lessens the possibility of irregularities or manipulation in the outcomes.
- Compilation and Reporting: Following the conclusion of voting at a polling place, the Presiding Officer creates Form 45 and submits it to the Returning Officer of the constituency. The Returning Officer gathers and combines the Form 45s from each polling stations within the constituency to determine the final results.
- Public Availability: In an effort to promote transparency, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has mandated that Presiding Officers post Form 45 outside of voting places for public viewing. Voters, candidates, and their representatives can observe and confirm the results as a result.
