The Election Commission of Maldives (ECM) has announced that nominations for the upcoming local council and women’s development committee elections will open on Saturday, 17 January and remain open until 1 February.
This marks the first time candidate forms will be accepted digitally through an online portal.
During a press conference, ECM Chairperson Mohamed Zahid confirmed that the elections will be held on 4 April 2026, with polling stations operational from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. A total of 1,356 members—678 for local councils and 678 for women’s development committees—will be elected. ECM stated that 294,937 eligible voters (144,527 women and 150,410 men) will participate.
Voting will take place across 321 polling stations across the country, with stations set up on industrial islands, prisons, and resorts alongside all inhabited islands. Overseas voting will be facilitated via ballot boxes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Colombo, Sri Lanka.
According to constituency guidelines, 626 councillors will be elected for island councils and 52 for city councils, with varying representation based on population. The women’s development committees will mirror the elected council structures.
Zahid emphasised that all administrative preparations are underway to ensure a smooth and transparent election process.