The Elections Commission (EC) has decided to extend the voting period until 5:00 PM today. According to the Commission, this decision was made due to challenges faced by voters as a result of extreme heat and long queues at polling stations. Consequently, the voting time for the Local Council Elections, Women’s Development Committee Elections, and the National Referendum has been extended to ensure all eligible citizens have the opportunity to cast their ballots.
Data released by the Elections Commission shows that as of 2:00 PM today, a total of 131,947 individuals have cast their votes, comprising 63,175 women and 68,772 men.
With a total of 294,876 eligible voters in this election, approximately 162,929 individuals have yet to vote. The Elections Commission urges all citizens who have not yet exercised their right to vote to join the queues before the designated closing time. The Commission clarified that no further individuals will be permitted to join the queues after 5:00 PM. However, those already in line at that time will be allowed to complete their voting, after which the ballot boxes will be sealed. Vote counting is scheduled to commence 30 minutes after each ballot box is closed.
A total of 588 ballot boxes have been stationed across the Maldives for this election. Each polling station features three separate ballot boxes: one for the Local Council Elections, one for the Women’s Development Committee Elections, and one for the National Referendum.
