DefinePK

Abstract

Overseas voting was a long debatable issue in Pakistan because major political parties claimed that their overseas voters cannot participate in the electoral system. In the history of Pakistan, first time Election Management body- Election Commission of Pakistan, gave political rights to overseas Pakistanis in 2018. The main aim of this study is to highlight the crucial factors which are the main hindrance of overseas voting registration. This study conducted purposive sampling and held overseas voters’, from all over the world, interviewed for the deep understanding of their behavior towards national politics and elections. This study highlighted the factors which are hindrance in the registration of overseas voters. These factors are lack of mass media campaign, lack of technical knowledge, complicated registration process, and no information sharing cells in concerned embassies and consulates. ECP should disseminate the information about overseas voting via foreign embassies because these are more effective ways to provide information to Pakistani community/overseas and conduct mass media awareness campaigns to properly inform citizens.