KARACHI, Aug 18: The cumbersome voting procedure and modalities not only slowed down the pace of voting in the first phase of local body election on Thursday, but also benefited some political workers who exploited voters’ ignorance of the procedure to their advantage.

The first problem for a voter was the variation in electoral list in different constituencies. At some place, presiding officers were found using the voter lists of 2001 while at some other places, the lists revised in 2002 and 2005 were being used.

This was causing acrimony and misgiving not only among the candidates but also among voters. This situation vindicated concerns expressed by the various opposition groups about discrepancy in the electoral list and their apprehension that it would be used or misused by the ruling coalition to its advantage.

At some polling stations, some candidates were seen arguing with presiding officers over variations in the lists. “This amounts to disenfranchising people,” according to some of the candidates.

But what was agonising was the procedure under which a voter was required to get the six different ballot papers and putting them into the ballot box after affixing the special rubber stamp. There were complaints at many polling stations that after a voter had proved his identity and affixed his or her thumb impression on the counter-file, political activists got hold of the ballot papers and forced the voter out of the room.

Keeping in view of the lengthy procedure and the prescribed polling time, it appeared not possible for all the listed voters to exercise their right to vote. Such incidents were reported from polling stations set up at the Apwa College, City College and Ibrahim Ali Bhai School (near Ayesha Manzil). At some booths, the staff conducting the voting did not have the required number of ballot papers.

Besides such complaints, the arrest of a presiding officer with three stuffed ballot boxes during the first few hours of the polling also gave credence to doubts of ballot fixing.