The gap between registered male and female voters has in Punjab province narrowed since General Elections 2024 (GE-2024), declining from more than 5.3 million (50 lakh) in February 2024 to approximately 4.6 million (46 lakh) in February 2026.

According to the latest electoral roll statistics by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the total number of registered voters in Punjab now stands at approximately 77.5 million (7.75 crore), including about 41 million (4.1 crore) male voters and 36.4 million (3.64 crore) female voters.

In comparison, at the time of GE-2024, the total number of registered voters was approximately 73.2 million (7.32 crore), comprising about 39.1 million (3.91 crore) male voters and 34.8 million (34.8 crore) female voters.

In percentage terms, the gender gap stood at around nine percent in February 2024. It has since narrowed to approximately eight percent. While this reduction indicates comparatively faster growth in female voter registration over the past two years, the continued presence of a gap of this magnitude underscores the need for sustained measures to promote inclusive electoral participation.

What does the Elections Act say on gender gap?

Section 47(1) of the Elections Act, 2017 requires the Election Commission to annually publish disaggregated data of registered male and female voters in each constituency and highlight the difference in their numbers.

Under Section 47(2), the Commission is required to take special measures in constituencies where the difference between registered male and female voters exceeds 10 percent. These measures include steps to expedite the issuance of National Identity Cards for women in the concerned constituencies.