NADRA
Last Updated: October 2026
Type your CNIC number without hyphens or spaces and send it to 8300. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) says the automated reply gives your electoral area, block code and serial number. The service is the ECP’s, run in collaboration with NADRA, and the electoral rolls are the ECP’s too: NADRA’s own project page says updating and managing them is the Election Commission’s exclusive mandate. So a correction to your vote goes to the ECP’s District Election Commissioner, not to a NADRA centre.
This guide uses the ECP’s voter pages, the Elections Act 2017 as published by the ECP (modified up to 5 August 2023), and NADRA’s Domestic Projects page, all read on 16 October 2026.
How to check
| Way | What the ECP says |
|---|---|
| SMS 8300 | Send your CNIC number, without hyphens or spaces, to 8300. The reply gives the name of your electoral area, the block code and your serial number. The ECP has run the service since 28 February 2012. |
| District Election Commissioner’s office | Every registered voter can check their particulars at the DEC’s office, where the final electoral roll is available. |
The ECP’s page does not say what an SMS to 8300 costs. For elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, NADRA’s project page lists separate SMS services, 8301 for the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission and 8302 for the AJK Election Commission, as part of the rolls it prepares for elections it says were scheduled for June 2026.
What NADRA does, and what it does not
NADRA’s page for the Computerised Electoral Rolls System (CERS) says it has given technical assistance to the Election Commissions of Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir for developing, maintaining and operating CERS since a 2017 contract. The Elections Act sets out the data that flows between them:
- New cards. Section 25 requires NADRA to send the ECP the data of every fresh National Identity Card, so the holder can be registered as a voter where their permanent or temporary address is, according to the option they chose when they applied for the card.
- Changed and cancelled cards. NADRA also sends data on every cancelled or modified card and on deceased voters.
- Back from the ECP. Section 44 has the Registration Officer, through the ECP, tell NADRA about any change of a voter’s address that results from a transfer of their vote.
- Deaths. Section 43 has births and deaths registers send information on deceased persons to the Registration Officer every quarter.
In practice, your vote follows the address on your CNIC. Section 27 deems you resident in an electoral area if the temporary or permanent address on your card lies in it. That is why the address you choose when you change the address on your CNIC matters for your vote too.
Important: NADRA cannot correct your vote. NADRA itself says updating, revising and managing the electoral rolls is the exclusive constitutional and statutory mandate of the Election Commission, so take a correction or a transfer to the District Election Commissioner, Registration Officer or Assistant Registration Officer.
Who can be a voter
Section 26 entitles you to be enrolled in an electoral area if you are a citizen of Pakistan, at least 18 years old, hold a National Identity Card issued by NADRA by the last day fixed for claims and objections, have not been declared of unsound mind by a competent court, and are resident in the area under section 27. The Act adds that a NADRA card counts for registration and for voting even after its validity has expired. Section 45 allows enrolment only once, on one roll.
How to register, correct or transfer your vote
| You want to | ECP form |
|---|---|
| Register, or transfer your vote to another area | Form 21 |
| Object to an entry, or delete a vote | Form 22 |
| Correct your particulars | Form 23 |
The ECP says you submit the form with a copy of your CNIC to the District Election Commissioner, Registration Officer or Assistant Registration Officer of the district where you want to be enrolled. The forms are on the ECP website, and free from those offices and from display centre staff. Under section 31 a transfer asks for your name to be included where you now live and deleted from your current roll.
Timing matters. Section 39 bars any revision, correction, inclusion or transfer from 30 days before the term of an Assembly or local government is due to expire until the results of the general election are announced. It does not apply to an election to fill a casual vacancy.
What we could not confirm
- The cost of an SMS to 8300. The ECP’s page does not state it.
- The ECP’s FAQ. It is a scanned document and we did not read it.
- Whether the Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK elections took place as scheduled, and whether 8301 and 8302 are still live.
- Voting from abroad. Section 94 allows only pilot projects for overseas voting in by-elections, and we did not check what is running now.
Common mistakes
- Sending the CNIC with hyphens. The ECP asks for the number without hyphens or spaces.
- Asking NADRA to fix a vote. The rolls are the ECP’s. Use Form 21, 22 or 23.
- Changing your CNIC address without thinking about your vote. Your vote follows the address on your card.
- Leaving a correction until an election is called. Changes stop 30 days before the term ends.
- Assuming an expired CNIC stops you voting. The Act says it remains valid for registration and voting.
Sources: the SMS instructions from the ECP’s 8300 SMS Service page and Check Your Registration page; the forms and where to submit them from How To Register; sections 25 to 27, 31, 39, 43 to 45 and 94 from the Elections Act 2017 as modified up to 5 August 2023; and CERS and the 8301 and 8302 services from NADRA’s Domestic Projects page. All read on 16 October 2026. The ECP can change its services without notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about this topic.
How do I check my vote by CNIC?
Type your CNIC number without hyphens or spaces and send it as an SMS to 8300. The Election Commission says the automated reply gives the name of your electoral area, your block code and your serial number.
Who runs the 8300 service?
The Election Commission of Pakistan, in collaboration with NADRA. The ECP has run it since 28 February 2012.
Can NADRA correct my vote?
No. NADRA’s own project page says updating, revising and managing the electoral rolls is the exclusive mandate of the Election Commission. Use ECP Form 23 to correct your particulars, submitted to the District Election Commissioner, Registration Officer or Assistant Registration Officer.
Why is my vote registered at my old address?
Under section 27 of the Elections Act, your vote follows the temporary or permanent address on your CNIC, and NADRA sends the ECP the address you chose when you applied for the card. To move your vote, apply on ECP Form 21 for a transfer.
How do I transfer my vote to another city?
Submit ECP Form 21 with a copy of your CNIC to the District Election Commissioner, Registration Officer or Assistant Registration Officer of the district where you want to be enrolled. Section 31 treats it as a request to include your name there and delete it from your current roll.
Can I vote with an expired CNIC?
The Elections Act says a National Identity Card issued by NADRA remains valid for registration as a voter and for casting a vote even after its validity period expires.
When can I not change my vote?
Section 39 bars revisions, corrections, inclusions and transfers from 30 days before the term of an Assembly or local government is due to expire until the results of the general election are announced, except for an election to fill a casual vacancy.
What is the vote check number for Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK?
NADRA’s project page lists SMS service 8301 for the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission and 8302 for the AJK Election Commission, as part of the electoral rolls it prepares for those commissions.
Who can register as a voter?
A citizen of Pakistan aged at least 18 who holds a NADRA identity card, has not been declared of unsound mind by a competent court, and is resident in the electoral area, which the Act ties to the address on the card.
