Elections Commission (EC) has opened registration for monitors for the upcoming 2023 Presidential Election.

EC opened registration for those who wish to monitor the voting and vote counting of the upcoming election on 19 July, 2023. The deadline is set at 03:00 pm on 13 August, 2023.

Elections Commission states that those that wish to apply as monitors should be Maldivians who are above the age of 18. They should not be serving a sentence for a criminal offence.

Additionally, they must be an employee of a radio/TV station registered with the Maldives Broadcasting Commission or an employee of a newspaper or magazine registered under the Newspapers, Magazines Act.

If they work for an international media, they should be certified by the EC and they should not be a person entrusted by the commission to carry out any work relating to the election.

Furthermore, they must not have taken any action in violation of the Code of Conduct within the past five years, or have been convicted of an electoral offense and must not have contested any other office in the election.

They also must have read the Code of Conduct of the Elections Commission and agreed to abide by it.

Candidates serving as monitors should be aware of additional factors. The Election Commission's declaration must be signed by everyone serving as a monitor.

Passes may be provided to each newspaper, magazine, and news agency registered to monitor the voting and vote counting, up to 10% of the total number of ballot boxes set up for the election.

Those who proposes to act as an observer or monitor or candidate appointed representative on polling day shall meet the requirements for observers, monitors and candidate appointed representatives. As such, if they have been convicted of an electoral offense within the past five years, or if they are found guilty of violating the constitution, the Elections Commission reserves the right to refuse permission for them to act as an observer, or monitor, or as a representative of a candidate.

Applications for monitors will be accepted via email. Application forms will be accepted at the reception of the Election Center (Dharubaaruge) from 19 July to 13 August from 09:00 am to 03:00 pm on working days and public holidays. On Fridays forms will be accepted from 03:00 pm to 05:00 pm.

Application forms for nomination as monitors should be mailed to the commission’s email address [email protected].