NA-77 Gujranwala and PP-203 Sahiwal By-Elections on 8 November: Polling 8 am to 5 pm, 18 Candidates

Polling for the NA-77 Gujranwala-I and PP-203 Sahiwal-VI by-elections is on Sunday 8 November 2026, from 8 am to 5 pm. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lists 11 candidates in NA-77 and 7 in PP-203. Public meetings and processions in both seats have been banned since midnight on 6 November.

If you live in one of these two seats, you have one job today. Send your CNIC number to 8300 and find your polling station before the morning rush.

We read the ECP press release of 6 November, the ECP security notification of 5 November, and both Form-33 candidate lists on 7 November 2026. Form-33 is the official list of contesting candidates. We also read the final polling statement for PP-203.

Polling runs from 8 am to 5 pm on 8 November in both seats

Both Form-33 lists carry the same notice: the poll will be taken between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on 8 November 2026. The NA-77 list is dated 19 October and the PP-203 list is dated 22 October. Both were signed by the Returning Officer, the official who runs the election in a seat.

NA-77 Gujranwala-I is a National Assembly seat. PP-203 Sahiwal-VI is a Punjab Assembly seat. Only voters registered in these two seats vote on Sunday. Everyone else has no poll to attend.

A note on those numbers. The PP-203 statement is dated 30 October and is final. For NA-77 we read the statement in the draft list of 25 September. The ECP has since posted a final list for NA-77, but it is a very large scanned file and we could not read its summary page. So the station count may have moved a little.

Campaigning ended at midnight on 6 November

The ECP says the campaign in both seats ended at the midnight between 6 and 7 November 2026. Section 182 of the Elections Act, 2017 bans public meetings and processions in the constituency for 48 hours, ending at midnight after the poll closes.

Breaking this rule can bring up to two years in prison, a fine of up to Rs 100,000, or both. That is the figure in the ECP's own press release. It applies to any person who holds or attends such a meeting, not only to candidates.

So a rally in either constituency on Saturday or Sunday is an offence. If you see one, report it to the local Returning Officer or the District Election Commissioner's office.

Eleven candidates are contesting NA-77 Gujranwala-I

Form-33 for NA-77 lists 11 candidates, in Urdu alphabetical order. Three have a party and eight are independent. Look for the symbol on your ballot paper, because that is what you will stamp.

Seven candidates are contesting PP-203 Sahiwal-VI

Form-33 for PP-203 lists seven candidates. Two have a party and five are independent. The final statement shows 135,728 men and 122,394 women registered, 258,122 voters in all.

PP-203 has 57 male, 54 female and 74 combined polling stations. A combined station takes both men and women. The statement counts 300 male and 260 female booths.

Find your polling station in four steps before you leave home

The fastest check is the ECP's free 8300 text service, followed by the Form-28 list on the ECP site. Form-28 is the list that matches each census block to a polling station. Our 8300 guide explains the reply line by line.

1. Send your 13-digit CNIC number, with no dashes or spaces, to 8300.
2. Note your electoral area, block code and serial number from the reply.
3. Open the ECP by-elections page and open Form-28 for your seat.
4. Search for your block code or village, note the station, and go with your CNIC.

Our earlier page on the NA-77 polling station list explains how the draft and final lists work. Postal ballots are no longer an option. The ECP's last date for those applications was 23 October.

Police come first at the gate, then Rangers, then the army on standby

The ECP's notification of 5 November sets the security order. Police are the first responders, Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) are second, and the army stays third, as a standby quick reaction force only. Troops are posted outside selected most sensitive polling stations, not inside them.

The same code tells voters what security staff may not do:

• They may not stop an eligible voter from entering, unless the person has a weapon or other banned item, or is causing disturbance.
• They may not take the duties of polling staff.
• They may not take custody of ballot papers, stamps, ballot boxes or result forms such as Form-45.
• They may not interfere in the count.

Accredited observers and media are allowed inside a polling station. Armed forces staff must report any problem to the Presiding Officer, who runs the station.

Check the result on the ECP forms, not on a forwarded message

Each station's count is written on Form-45 and the seat's provisional result on Form-47. Our guide to Forms 45, 47 and 49 shows how to read them.

We do not predict results. We will report the outcome once the numbers are available.

Common questions

When is the NA-77 Gujranwala by-election?

On Sunday 8 November 2026, from 8 am to 5 pm, according to the ECP's Form-33 and its press release of 6 November.

How many candidates are in PP-203 Sahiwal?

Seven. Form-33, dated 22 October 2026, lists two party candidates and five independents.

Can I hold a corner meeting on Saturday?

No. The ECP says public meetings and processions in both seats ended at midnight between 6 and 7 November. The penalty can reach two years in prison or Rs 100,000.

How do I find my polling station?

Send your CNIC number to 8300, note your block code, then search for it in the Form-28 list for your seat on the ECP by-elections page.

Can I vote if I live in Gujranwala but my vote is elsewhere?

No. You vote only where your vote is registered. The 8300 reply shows your electoral area. If you moved, see how to transfer your vote with Form 21 for future polls.

Will the army be inside polling stations?

The ECP code says security personnel are deployed outside selected most sensitive stations, with the army as a standby third tier.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 7 November 2026. We read the ECP press release of 6 November 2026, the ECP notification of 5 November 2026 on the code of conduct, and both Form-33 lists and the PP-203 statement linked from the ECP by-elections page. Candidate names are spelled as printed in English on Form-33.