ISLAMABAD - Keeping in view the voting patterns of previous elections, the voters’ increasing awareness due to social media and the inclusion of young voters in the voter list, the voter turnout is expected to increase this time.

According to Gallup Pakistan, the last 2013 general election had witnessed 53 percent average turnout, which included only valid votes, and that was an average 12 percent increase in the last 25 years since 1988 general elections.

Every general election in Pakistan has witnessed an increase in average voter turnout as compared to the previous ones since 1997 election whose turnout was 35 percent.

An election expert, wishing anonymity due to the “misreporting of electronic media on general election”, said that two factors would affect the voter turnout of 2018 general election. “One factor has a positive impact on the turnout and the other has positive,” he said. He explained added that the positive impact was that around 19.7 million young voters have been added to the voter list that would definitely increase the turnout. The negative impact is the scorching and humid weather of July, he added. This is perhaps for the first time that general elections are being held in the country in July and as a result, old age voters would not come out for vote.

In the 2013 elections, the average voter turnout was 57 percent in Punjab, 53 percent in Sindh, 42 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 36 percent in Balochistan.

According to the data of Gallup Pakistan, the general elections have witnessed different average voter turnout since 1988 and it remained low in 1997 elections that was 35 percent. In 1988 election, the voter turnout remained 42 percent, in 1990 election it was 46 percent, in 1993 election it was 39 percent, in 1997 it remained 35 percent, in 2002 it was 40 percent and in 2008 the turnout was 44 percent.

The 1970 general elections voter turnout remained highest in the country’s electoral history as it was 64 percent followed by 62 percent in 1977 general election. According to Gallup Pakistan, 970 and 1977 elections in many ways were very different in nature than the succeeding 7 elections. The 1970 elections were conducted when East Pakistan was still part of Pakistan and 1977 election results were annulled due to the rigging allegations followed by a military coup. The 1985 general elections were on non-party basis and were held under the umbrella of a military dictator General (retd) Ziaul Haq.

The average voter turnout in last 9 general elections of the country excluding 1985 general election was 47 percent.

In comparison with the neighbouring countries, the average voter turnout remained 66.4 percent in the 2014 general elections of India.