EC sets voter eligibility for 2025 LG polls

The Election Commission has announced that individuals who turn 18 years of age by 1 February 2025 will be eligible to vote in the upcoming local government elections.Accordingly, all persons born on or before 31 January 2007 will have the right to cast their vote.

To formalise this decision, the Commission has issued an official notification in the Gazette under Section 76(a) of the Local Government Elections Ordinance and Section 24(a) of the Voters Registration Act.

Additionally, the Commission has released details regarding the number of candidates required for nomination in each local government institution, along with the deposit amounts necessary to contest the elections.

As per the guidelines, nomination lists must be prepared at both the divisional and proportional levels for each local government institution. The Commission has also stressed that youth representation in nomination lists must exceed 25 per cent.

Furthermore, gender representation requirements have been set out, stipulating that divisional-level nomination lists must include at least 25 per cent female candidates, while proportional nomination lists must ensure 50 per cent female representation.