Voting for the Local Council Elections (LCE) and Women’s Development Committee Elections (WDCE) has begun across the Maldives at 0700hrs.
A total of 600 polling stations are established in the Greater Male' Region, with 40 stations set up in tents, in accordance to the safety guidelines set by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has decided a maximum of 550 votes will be cast to a single box due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Polling stations have been placed in all inhabited islands, resorts, and industrial zones, as well as in Thiruvananthapuram, India, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, which have large Maldivian communities. Among those; polling stations in Raiymmandhoo, Meemu Atoll, and Thinadhoo, Vaavu Atoll, opened late at 0830hrs due to some complications. A large number of voters have lined up at polling stations in Male’ City and in the atolls. However, voting did not begin at the scheduled time in some resorts, as legally at least two voters have to be present for a polling station to open.
The queues of the polling stations will be closed to the public at 1700hrs. However, after 1700hrs is designated for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and for those who are in quarantine to vote.
ECM has urged more citizens to come out to vote, emphasising the importance of Maldivians to support their local representatives while the HPA has advised to follow the guidelines to ensure the safety of everyone.
ECM has revealed 273,128 people are eligible to vote in the LCE and the WDCE after the polls were postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 3,934 candidates are contesting in the elections, including 2,264 candidates in the LCE and 1,670 candidates in the WDCE.
A total of 982 members will be elected for the local councils and 930 members will be elected for the women’s development committees.