ISLAMABAD: The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has revealed that the General Election 2024 (GE-2024) saw the highest-ever voter turnout in Pakistan’s electoral history. A detailed analysis, released in celebration of National Voters Day, highlighted significant trends in voter participation, including demographic and gender dynamics, along with a comparison to previous elections.
According to the report titled ‘GE-2024: Brief on Assessing Demographic and Gender Turnout Dynamics,’ 61,282,920 voters participated in GE-2024, marking an unprecedented number. However, despite this record turnout, the voter participation rate dropped slightly to 48 percent, down from 52 percent in 2018. This decline is attributed to a significant increase of 22.5 million voters on the electoral rolls, which inflated the overall voter base between the two elections.
One of the most notable shifts in GE-2024 was the surge in female voter registration, which surpassed male registration for the first time. Of the 22.5 million new voters, 12.5 million were women, while 10 million were men. This has helped to narrow the gender gap in voter registration, though female turnout remained lower (42.7 percent) compared to men (51.8 percent). The gap between male and female voter participation also decreased from 10 percentage points in GE-2018 to 9 percentage points in 2024.
Read more: Fafen Reports Rise in Voters, Decrease in Turnout for Feb 8 Polls
FAFEN’s report further revealed that rural constituencies recorded a notably higher voter turnout (50.1 percent) than urban areas (43.8 percent). The rural voter base was almost double that of urban areas, with 40.6 million voters from rural regions casting their ballots compared to 20.5 million from urban constituencies.
FAFEN emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to make the electoral process more inclusive, particularly by encouraging voter participation among women and marginalized groups. The report also underscored the necessity of voter education and mobilization campaigns, especially in areas with lower turnout.
As Pakistan celebrates National Voters Day, FAFEN’s findings serve as a reminder of the progress made and the work that remains to ensure a fully inclusive and participatory electoral system.
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