Electoral rolls shrink by 589,458 in less than two months as ECP removes 1.48m deceased voters

Pakistan's electoral rolls have contracted by over half a million voters in less than two months, according to an analysis of official Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) statistics. Between May 7 and July 2, 2026, the total number of registered voters fell from 137,163,857 to 136,574,399, marking a net decline of 589,458.

This reduction is primarily attributed to the ECP's removal of a substantial number of deceased voters from the electoral database. Approximately 1.48 million deceased individuals were removed, significantly outweighing the 895,000 new voters enrolled during the same period. The decrease in registered voters was observed across 99 of the country's 144 districts.

The province of Punjab bore the brunt of this decline, accounting for 81.2 percent of the nationwide reduction. Punjab lost 478,909 voters, with districts like Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, and Gujranwala experiencing the largest decreases. Nine of the top ten districts with the biggest voter roll contractions were located in Punjab.

Sindh province recorded the second-largest decline, losing 97,216 voters. Karachi South saw the most significant drop within Sindh, followed by Karachi East. The overall decrease has also narrowed the gender gap among registered voters, reducing it from about 941,000 to 910,000. While most districts saw a decline, 45 districts reported a net increase in registered voters.