Are EVM's history?

How KPK Govt can put EVM's back on the agenda

Problem Statement: The federal legislation mandating the use of EVMs has been reversed. This is a setback. The Election Commission may wind down the urgency on any progress on EVMs. But KPK can lead the country!

Solution: The KPK Govt can use the Local Body Elections legislation to mandate the use of EVM in the next local body elections. 

Benefits: This will keep the legal requirement of keeping the EVM development moving

Implementation: The implementation has two streams

Legislative

• Within a week

  1. Governor KPK to Immediately issue an Ordinance Mandating the use of EVMs in the next KPK Local Body Elections.

  2. EVMs are back on the table with a Bang!

• Next three months

  1. Sit down with ECP to agree on the scope and practicality of it. 

  2. Agree on the roadmap, milestones and timelines

  3. Legislate the agreement into law

• Establish a Parliamentary committee to monitor progress against agreed milestones and remove any roadblocks for ECP

  • Run it like a professional project.

Executive

Establish a well funded world class centre of excellence for election technologies. Key functions include

1. Research and development

   1. Research global best practices and how to apply them locally

2. Develop roadmaps for adoption in Pakistan

3. Development of an ecosystem that enables us to develop Election Technology-related competence across legal, technical and procurement aspects

4. Establish a fund to finance universities, startups and companies to develop machines

5. Conduct hackathons

6. Develop familiarity and confidence in society by providing the tech for elections using EVMs in

   1. Clubs

   2. Chamber of Commerces

   3. Trade/Union elections

   4. Housing Cooperatives

   5. Bar Elections etc

Way Forward: This is a strategic initiative. It will never get off the ground if it is not given resources that are ring-fenced from day-to-day fire fighting. Once KPK can conduct the next LGs on EVM, it would happen quickly at the national level as well