Vote Verification via SMS

By Aamir Attaa | 29, Feb 2012 | 88 Comments

Check and Find Out Your Polling Station Details Through 8300

As announced earlier, eligible voters can now verify the status of their votes in the new computerized voter lists prepared by Election Commission of Pakistan by just sending an SMS via their mobile phones.

Service has been up an running for all operators, throughout the country.

Election Commission said that this SMS verification service, in collaboration with cellular operators, happens to be world’s largest verification service of any kind.

ECP said that 85 million registered voters can check their records through a single SMS.

How to Check your Vote Status?

Simply send your CNIC (without dashes) to 8300
Example: Send “3740541882200” to 8300

You will soon receive a reply with following information:

Your CNIC Number
Electoral Area, i.e. District, Tehsil and city/town/village
Block Code
Serial Number

Note: Reply message is likely to have words in Urdu (unicode). You may not be able to read the text message if your phone doesn’t support unicode.

Election Commission said that it has purposefully not included the voters’ name and home address to avoid any privacy violations.

Charges:

SMS sent to 8300 will be charged @ Rs. 2 plus tax

What if you are not registered or registered with incorrect details?

Election Commission of Pakistan has said that that voters, in case of any issue, should immediately contact district election commissioner to get the details corrected. For the purpose, Election Commission is also arranging the establishment of display centers where voters can go an check their details and to get the information corrected.

Muhammad Anas

Just checked Mine, got a reply within a minute.

Nice step by ECP and NADAR.
- faysal
  
  i also got correct
http://www.maxtispot.com -W-

Checked Mine Too.
Nice Work.

-W
Azi

free hona chyea tha
Waqas

Same here, i also checked and the got the reply

Here goes Vote for IK
- shen
  
  same here too i have checked and my vote goes to my leader IK ! but many of my friends votes are not registered what to do ? please reply admin , any one who can help!
  - Asim
    
    Go to any local Election Commission Office and get your friends and family members registered.
    
    Remember, real change would only come if you cast your vote. Good luck
    
    Pakistan Zindabad
- kamran khan mohmand
  
  Me also for IK
CLOSE2YOU

nice work,
but SMS cost of checking vote should be low…
83 million voters verify their votes (govt earn the double)
- Akram
  
  Exactly … I believe they (ECP/Govt) will recover the money they invested in this project today (and start earning profit/COMISSION) :)
  
  On another hand, I would not mind paying this much money if they can link your vote to your DESIGNATED mobile number, so you could vote by SMS too. THAT would be great in terms of cost saving/security.
  
  Long Live Pakistan!
  
  @Mak_pk
  - zain
    
    i think Its ECP right if they are earning .
    
    free cheez ka jo aksar pakistani haal kartay hain na…..
    - anonumous
      
      it should have been free or at least priced to just cover the cost, not to earn profits. government is not a corporate to earn profits. government is to serve people. democratic government is by the people, for the people.
      
      my guess is that they priced it to Rs. 2 to cover the cost. not everyone is going to use this service but many will. furthermore, Rs. 2 will counter anyone who may try to abuse this service with spam.
faisal

what about Pakistanis outside Pakistan, how can they check it???
- Akram
  
  You could ask any of your friend living in Pakistan to send the SMS on your behalf (by sending your CNIC number to 8300).
- anonumous
  
  consult your local Pakistani Embassy.
http://www.wizsoft.com.pk Danish Kharadi

Checked !!

Good move by ECP !!
http://www.presstv.ir Amir

No it doesn’t work on warid … I sent it but I didnt get any reply yet …
- shen
  
  you have to wait , i got the reply after 6 hours
  - http://cyrenity.wordpress.com mustafa
    
    Shem, Amir, this service is working out of the box, however if facing delivery issue, you can comment (with last 5 digits of your cell) below instead of re-sending again and again and loosing your balance :)
    - Nawaf
      
      I am unable to send sms…it is not delivering.
      
      last 5 digits or my number >>> 63668
iali

checked mine and returned square boxes… not sure if there is any issue with my cell phone not supporting the fonts
- Muhammad Haris
  
  Yes, It is in Urdu font and mobile phones that doesn’t support urdu font will observe this.
  
  Thanks
http://babarhaq.blogspot.com Babar Haq

Its good but they should have done it online (web) as well. Shouldn’t be difficult.
- anonumous
  
  Indeed, I was also thinking that why didn’t NADRA or election commission allowed this service on their website for free?
  
  If this service is truly for free and Rs. 2 is only for covering the cost of this service then they should have put this service on their website. So that anyone with access to internet can check it without spending an average of Rs. 8 to Rs. 10 for an average Pakistani family.
Amir

This service is not working in mobilink as well. @ iali.. I think square boxes mean your mobile is not supporting urdu text….
- admin
  
  yes, reply text contains words in unicode. Those phones not supporting it will show boxes.
  - Akram
    
    Forwarding the same SMS (with square boxes) to another phone which supports urdu text might help, sometimes.
Hanan

Verified!

@Aamir i checked it through Warid sim and got the reply in 15 secs.

Good step from ECP…
Chaudhry Khalid

I sent the message from my mobilink number who port-in ufone but I didnt get any reply yet
samz

alteast 100 million rp they are going to earn… what is the cost of this operation?
ABC

WTF !!!

I born in Karachi, studied in Karachi, domicile PRC Karachi, Nic both addresses Karachi.

How the hell they put me in Gujrat ????

That another reason of unfair election.
- Furqan
  
  Koi baat nae yara! Mistakes can occur that is why they have given the option of correction as also mentioned in last paragraph of the post. I know correction will be a hassle but fortunately for a bigger cause. :)
- Asim
  
  Pop in to any local ECP branch and make the desired correction. I know it’s a headache but human does makes mistakes and to show being a responsible citizen make your way to the office and do the correction. Good luck
  
  Remember, casting a vote to a inept person is a crime, and NOT casting your vote at all is a bigger crime than this.
  - anonumous
    
    not casting vote is not a crime according to Pakistan’s Law.
    
    vote is a democratic right and any person can opt to not use his/her right.
- anonumous
  
  Why can’t ECP or NADRA simply put everyone to their “current address” (if different from “permanent address”) which they can get from NADRA’s database for everyone’s CNIC.
Ali

Great Job!!!
Tahir

Total mistakes!!!!

I have CNIC, domicile and address of Lahore

but my vote is registered in Faisalabad

this is bullshit

i have tried with three other friends there area of voting are wrong
- anonumous
  
  Again my question is that why didn’t ECP or NADRA simply put everyone to their “current address” (if different from “permanent address”) which they can get from NADRA’s database for everyone’s CNIC?
  
  It would have saved a lot of time and saved a lot of errors.
  
  Many people leave for their towns on the election day because they have their votes listed in their home town.
  
  It would have been a very simple job. Just use the “current address” or “permanent address” for registered voters list. Why even people have to register their votes? All Pakistanis in NADRA’s CNIC database should automatically get “registered” to their home’s addresses.
  
  This is 2012, not 1952.
http://cyrenity.wordpress.com Ghulam Mustafa

Admin.

Just a note. SMS could be sent in any format.

e.g.
11111-1111111-1
11111-1111111-1
abc11111-1111111-1
abc1111111111111xyz
11111$1111111$1

the service will fetch first 13 digits from SMS contents and assume it your CNIC number.
Inam

Checked mine! Fast service & Correct info!
So One more vote added in the favor of IMRAN KHAN! ;-)
http://makemoneyonline10.com Make money online

Yes, It is in Urdu font and mobile phones that doesn’t support urdu font will observe this.
zafar iqbal

Election commission must give the facility to confirm via internet or email because overseas pakistani and other people can confirm their vote.
http://aioucheats.site11.com haris mughal

nice, I also check, Its working 100%, thanx for sharing this helpful service.
Sumair

Checked, got the reply in a few seconds (Operator: Telenor PK). Also checked about my other family members (Operator: Warid). Btw can somebody explain what is Block Code?? And 1 thing more, one of my cousin didnt register his vote in voting list as his CNIC was not made that time, but when we checked, his vote was registered. I didnt get this? I mean how this happened when he didnt even filled any form?
- Pakistani
  
  I think they fetched his information from his NIC which he made later.
- Asim
  
  Anyone issued with a CNIC up until January 31st 2012 has been registered to cast their vote.
  
  If someone’s CNIC came after that date, pop into any ECP branch and get yourself registered.
  - Sumair
    
    oh thanks for the info Asim! :) Now if someone can tell me whats Block Code?? :)
http://www.facebook.com/ccnafasttrack sajjad

visit for updates from CCNA PAKISTAN
http://abdulqadoos.com/top-10-reasons-web-sites-get-gacked/ Abdul Qadoos

nice initiative
atif

very nice step by the ECP and i checked and instantly i got my reply with details which were correct… secondly i believe that such services/project have a cost and if they are charging then i am ok with it but charges should be as less as could be and thirdly my request to all who get wrong details in reply that they should stay positive and instead of finger pointing they should go to the center and get their records properly updated. and that msg should also come out in urdu so everybody can understand what it says.. but again, this is a very good move by election commission
- ABC
  
  Pointing finger ????
  
  Man you should visit these govt, office before posting this.
  
  I am not posting anything wrong about this serviece
Shariq

8300 ??? Sound like this shortcode belongs to chopaal / smsall, anyone to verify / comment on this ?
- http://cyrenity.wordpress.com mustafa
  
  8300 Belongs to ECP, and Nadra is managing service on it.
faysal

i also got correct reply
Mahmood

I have checked mine vote through SMS. The result received is shocking.
1. The new data has not been punched. Forms, the EC has got filled in, perhaps been thrown in the dustbin. I filled my form giving my present address meaning thereby that I will cast my vote there. What is the fate of huge exercise done by EC. Just waste of money, time and resources
2. It is assumed that the voter will cast his / her vote at their permanent address, where as the voter will only be able to cast his vote at his / her present address. So, rest assure that 50% voters will not be able to cast their votes.
3. Even the address taken from the data bank is wrong. I mean, my address is wrong so I have factually no vote.
- http://cyrenity.wordpress.com Mustafa
  
  Its not the final list dude, and that is why they have setup display centers, visit your nearest display center and get it fixed.
PTI Supporter

If you want to vote for Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf then forward the message you receive from ECP to 80022 and see what happens :)
- http://twitter.com/sachakaka Sacha Kaka
  
  what will happen? thordi deer baad ghar per dastak ho ge kay apni new car ke chabi lay lo? :D
- M.abdullah
  
  Tell me what will happen my friend?
Naeem

mery khail say in ko area wise list online kar deni cheia ya phir sms free hona cheia
Farhan

I checked using Mobilink and got reply with seconds. Good service by ECP and NADRA.

My question to author of the article and ECP and NADRA is please explain what is meant by “Block Code” and “Serial Number”?

By the way, how to know the “nearest Display Center” on which the lists are physically displayed? Do I have to go on the road and start asking from passerby or go to market and start asking from shopkeepers? Or did ECP was kind enough to list the addresses of all “Display Centers” on their websites? If so then please kindly give the link to that webpage. Because I am not interested to waste hours just trying to find where is the “Display Center” in my local area.

As we are heading towards election, if anyone from ECP or NADRA is reading this, when time will come, please add all addresses of all polling stations in a nice search-able format for all areas of Pakistan. So that anyone can know where to go to cast their vote, rather than wasting their time in finding their polling station.

And please ECP or NADRA, add this facility to your website too.
- Salman
  
  Agreed! Need to have some kind of easy way for it.
http://www.bollywood-gossips.net Waheed Mughal

you have to wait , i got the reply after 6 hours
Mujahid naqvi

How to rectify any error
http://www.equranpak.com Qasim

in ko jo chaiya us main ya taraqee kar rhay hain hamain jo chaya 4g or paypal in ko ya chezon ki koi fikar nai
Adnan

Guys my vote is registered in that area which i didnt know……
mein ne nearest display centre sy contact kia that r saying ke ap phele us jaga per jao jahin ap ka vote reg hy…wht the ________. wht should i do now ……..?????
Pingback: Vote Verification via SMS Served 4.5 Million Requests in 2 Weeks
Usman

What about overseas Pakistani’s?
I have my registered vote but now I am in UAE. How can I check my vote registration and vote validity?
http://propakistani.pk jamil

it must be free…….
NISAR AHMED NOONARI

very nice step by the ECP and i checked and instantly i got my reply with details which were correct… secondly i believe that such services/project have a cost and if they are charging then i am ok with it but charges should be as less as could be and thirdly my request to all who get wrong details in reply that they should stay positive and instead of finger pointing they should go to the center and get
Ateeq ur Rehman

my vote is registered in Chakwal. But i am living in Faisalabad since my birth. Please tell me Faisalabad Election Commission Office adress or Number.

MY cell number is 03017130001
Muhammad Munir Bhatti

Thanks, i check my vote number through 8300. it is a very greatful service
arif

my vote is not registered in my halka instead it is registered in another electoral area that is like 20 km away from my home. i feel it is done intentionally by staff. i m from multan
Sarfraz

I am living in lahore since 1998 but ECP put my name in the voters list of Okara. I want to ask ECP and NADRA, why did they do greatness?
QAZI HAMZA

VOTE ONLINE REGESTER KARNA KA KIA TARIKA HA PLZ REPLAY ………….
Fazal hussain

asslam o alaikum, my name is fazal hussain , may sahiwal city ka rehnay wala hu, maira village 87.A/6.R Mehmood shah wali Noor shah road sahiwal per hay , but hamary vote chak no 87/6.R Mhadali Sharief may dal diay gaiy hay, ju kay hamary village say 10 kilo meter faslay per hay, hamara vote dalna us jugha mumqin hi nahy, mairy ghar kay id card n0 ye hay, fazal -36502-13417363-3 and safder ali kashif 36502-2555802-3 fida hussain saqib 36502-5634940-3, muzamil hussain razi, 36502-1319370-7 and ye vote 87/6.R madhali sharief may add ker diay hay, adhy abbadi kay votr wuha durg ker diay hay, inn ka koi hul kia jaiy
M.abdullah

i like the servis it’s awsome
Can anyone tell me what’s the block code and S# means?
http://www.facebook.com/hassnain.fida Hassnain Fida

I am unable to go to my hometown to cast my vote because my vote is registered in my hometown but i am not able to go and cast my vote .
So is this possible to cast my vote where currently i am living?????????
maimona

our adress isnt sent correctly to the ecp.. oune permenat adress is of galli lahorian gujrat which is in city.. its was said by ecp of gujrat that its some village lahorian..plus we wanted our vote to b transfered to pindi as we live in bahria town rawalpindi,plz help me onthisss…
zulal

what if a vote isn’t registered? you don’t get reply from ECP?
http://www.howtowords.com/ Mubashir

Nicely worked… Thanks for sharing
sardar hussain

:-#
Jeddy Khan

There should be a ECP webpage in which people can fill in the their CNIC number and get a reply in Urdu and English
nova

really dnt know what to do…………….i moved 4rm khi n hvnt changed address in CNIC………….dyin to cast my vote 4 Mr. Khan
abira

i’m sending my msg to 8300 but i am not receiving any reply. kindly can
anyone guide me, how i can check my information via some website
http://twitter.com/Rubab_sfz Rubab Sarfraz

not getting reply today…poor service
fskhan2000

you mother fuckers …why didnt i recieved reply yet? son of bitches
safdar abbas

I’m Unable to rcv response for my vote reg info from 8300