Democratics
Senator (1k+ posts)
I had my first experience of voting in a national and provincial assembly election. Last time in 2018, I visited different polling stations out of curiosity to witness the hustle and bustle. It was quite an energetic atmosphere, especially among the youth, who seemed to enjoy the occasion.
However, this time, the crowd was not even 10% as charged up as before, with supporters from both PTI and PML N being noticeably less enthusiastic.
I visited four major polling camps outside the polling station: PTI, PML N + IPP, IJ, and PPP. To my surprise, the JI polling camp appeared to be the most experienced and well-trained, followed by PPP. PML N was unexpectedly internet-savvy, using online platforms to verify CNIC numbers. On the other hand, the PTI camp relied solely on the online message I received from ECP on my mobile number, explaining that their mobiles weren't working and they couldn't check the ID card numbers online.
The JI polling camp outside the polling station guided me towards the entrance and even advised me on my specific booth number to avoid queuing at the wrong polling booth.
Upon entering the polling station, I noticed that it was a large school with beautiful gardens and swings for children. The children seemed to be enjoying themselves inside. Although I expected long queues of women waiting to vote for PTI in this upscale area, to my surprise, the number of men exceeded that of women, and there were no waiting lines for female voters.
Furthermore, when I joined the queue to cast my vote, there were already 47 people ahead of me. I observed that most of the voter tokens displayed support for PML N + IPP candidates. After me, a bureaucrat with his family sought help from his son to identify the symbols of PMLN + IPP and PTI, though it was evident that they voted for PML N. The person next to me, a renowned businessman, also voted for PML N, as he believed it would bring stability to the country and be positive for business.
After completing the voting process, I noticed that there was not as much noise and commotion in the area compared to the last time I was here.
Two other things caught my attention: PML N seemed to be more organized in terms of technology and logistics compared to PTI. PML N had internet access, and their online system was functioning well, while the same facility was not available for other parties.
However, this time, the crowd was not even 10% as charged up as before, with supporters from both PTI and PML N being noticeably less enthusiastic.
I visited four major polling camps outside the polling station: PTI, PML N + IPP, IJ, and PPP. To my surprise, the JI polling camp appeared to be the most experienced and well-trained, followed by PPP. PML N was unexpectedly internet-savvy, using online platforms to verify CNIC numbers. On the other hand, the PTI camp relied solely on the online message I received from ECP on my mobile number, explaining that their mobiles weren't working and they couldn't check the ID card numbers online.
The JI polling camp outside the polling station guided me towards the entrance and even advised me on my specific booth number to avoid queuing at the wrong polling booth.
Upon entering the polling station, I noticed that it was a large school with beautiful gardens and swings for children. The children seemed to be enjoying themselves inside. Although I expected long queues of women waiting to vote for PTI in this upscale area, to my surprise, the number of men exceeded that of women, and there were no waiting lines for female voters.
Furthermore, when I joined the queue to cast my vote, there were already 47 people ahead of me. I observed that most of the voter tokens displayed support for PML N + IPP candidates. After me, a bureaucrat with his family sought help from his son to identify the symbols of PMLN + IPP and PTI, though it was evident that they voted for PML N. The person next to me, a renowned businessman, also voted for PML N, as he believed it would bring stability to the country and be positive for business.
After completing the voting process, I noticed that there was not as much noise and commotion in the area compared to the last time I was here.
Two other things caught my attention: PML N seemed to be more organized in terms of technology and logistics compared to PTI. PML N had internet access, and their online system was functioning well, while the same facility was not available for other parties.
- Featured Thumbs
- data:image/jpeg;base64,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