Polling in Saturday’s triple polls elections has been conducted peacefully across the nation, with the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) reporting no major complaints as of 2:00pm.
Voting for the Local Council elections, Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections, and a referendum opinion poll commenced at 8:00 am. Although a small number of polling stations experienced minor delays, the majority opened on schedule across the country.
ECM Chairman Mohamed Zahid confirmed that voting is progressing smoothly at the majority of the 588 polling stations established nationwide.
Highlighting strong civic engagement, Zahid revealed that over 44 percent of the 294,876 eligible voters—comprising 150,370 males and 144,506 females—had already cast their ballots by mid-afternoon.
"This is a very good number, and I urge as many people as possible to participate in this crucial democratic process," he said.
While a few minor issues were reported at select polling stations, authorities confirmed they are being promptly addressed.
Voting will now continue until 5:00 pm after ECM extended the original closing time by an hour due to the intense heat across the Maldives, with officials reminding citizens that individuals must be in line by that time to be allowed to vote.
"We will close the queue at 5:00 pm sharp. So I would like to ask all the people of Maldives to queue by 5:00 pm," he emphasised.
The ECM assured that it will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.