An analysis of the General Elections 2024 results for NA-76 Narowal-II reveals that the winning Member of the National Assembly (MNA) secured the seat with the support of only 22 percent of the constituency’s total registered voters, while a majority of those who cast their ballots voted for other candidates.

According to a report by Free and Fair Election Network today, the victorious candidate garnered 137,042 votes, representing 44 percent of the 308,849 valid ballots cast on February 8, 2024. However, this figure accounts for less than a quarter of the 609,280 registered electors in the constituency, where voter turnout was recorded at 51 percent, according to the Final Consolidated Result (Form-49).

A significant 53 percent of voters, amounting to 163,915 individuals, cast their suffrages for other contenders, indicating a lack of majority consensus for the eventual winner. The runner-up candidate secured a substantial 36 percent of the vote share, while the third-placed challenger received 11 percent.

The remaining candidates in the contest collectively obtained six percent of the ballots. Furthermore, a total of 7,892 ballots, or three percent of all votes cast, were declared invalid and were therefore not credited to any candidate.

This report is part of a wider, constituency-level examination by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) that scrutinises the unrepresentativeness of Pakistan’s electoral outcomes. The series underscores how the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system can distort representation, particularly in multi-candidate contests common in Pakistan. FAFEN’s analysis suggests such outcomes can lead to a majority of voters feeling unrepresented, potentially raising questions about electoral legitimacy and contributing to political instability.