SARGODHA: The Member of the National Assembly from NA-83 Sargodha-II secured a victory in the General Elections 2024 with only 26 percent of the registered voters’ support. The election results reveal that the winning candidate received 136,604 votes, which constituted 49 percent of the 277,838 ballots cast, but represented just a fraction of the 528,554 registered voters in the constituency.

According to Free and Fair Election Network, the voter turnout in the constituency stood at 53 percent. Despite the win, the elected representative failed to garner the support of a majority of the voters who participated in the election on February 8, 2024. A significant 47 percent of these voters, equivalent to 131,502 individuals, cast their votes for other candidates, indicating a lack of widespread backing for the winner among active voters.

The runner-up in the race obtained 36 percent of the votes, while the candidate in third place secured four percent. Other candidates collectively received seven percent of the votes. Additionally, 9,732 ballots, or four percent of the total, were declared invalid and did not contribute to the final tally for any candidate.

This analysis is part of FAFEN's broader examination of the unrepresentativeness inherent in Pakistan's electoral outcomes. The series discusses how the First-Past-The-Post system can distort representation in multi-candidate electoral contests, which are frequent in Pakistan. In such situations, a significant portion of the electorate may feel unrepresented, potentially leading to concerns about the legitimacy of election results and contributing to political instability.