Jacobabad: In the recent General Elections of 2024, the elected Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-190 Jacobabad achieved victory with 126,411 votes, representing 60% of the ballots cast. However, this figure equates to just 25% of the total 497,578 registered voters in the constituency, highlighting a significant disparity in voter support.

According to Free and Fair Election Network, the official Final Consolidated Result (Form-49) indicated a voter turnout of 43% in the constituency. NA-190 was one of 70 out of 266 National Assembly constituencies where the victor managed to secure 50% or more of the polled votes. Despite this, a notable portion of the electorate, amounting to 72,844 individuals or 34%, opted not to vote for the winner. The remaining votes were distributed among other candidates, with the runner-up garnering 29% of the ballots cast. The third-placed candidate received 1%, and other contenders collectively secured 4% of the votes, while 6% of the total votes were declared invalid.

This electoral outcome is part of an analysis by FAFEN, examining representativeness across Pakistan’s 266 National Assembly constituencies. The First-Past-The-Post system, employed in Pakistan, allows candidates to win with the highest vote count without requiring a majority, often resulting in representatives who lack broad-based support. In contrast, a proportional representation system would allocate seats based on vote shares, potentially providing a more inclusive reflection of voter preferences. The data from GE-2024 underscore the gap between actual votes cast and the representation achieved, a pattern observed across all constituencies.