Surab: In the recent General Election 2024, the elected Member of the National Assembly from NA-261 Surab-cum-Kalat-cum-Mastung secured only 10% support from the registered voters. With 31,713 votes, the candidate captured 26% of the 119,928 ballots cast, highlighting the nuances of Pakistan's First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system, where winning does not require a majority.

According to Free and Fair Election Network, the final consolidated result of the constituency showed a voter turnout of 39%. Despite the victory, 81,999 votes, accounting for 68% of the total, were cast for other candidates on February 8, 2024. The runner-up garnered 23% of the vote, the third-place candidate 20%, and the remaining candidates collectively received 25%. Additionally, 6,216 ballots, or 5%, were declared invalid.

This analysis is part of FAFEN's examination of electoral representativeness in Pakistan's 266 National Assembly constituencies. The FPTP system often results in elected members lacking majority support. In contrast, a proportional representation system would allocate seats based on the proportion of votes won, reflecting a wider array of voter preferences. The data from GE-2024 underscores the disparity between votes cast and representation secured across all constituencies.