Candidacy now open for Local Council and WDC elections
Elections Commission opened candidate applications from January 17 to February 1 for the 2026 Local Council Elections. A total of 1,356 positions across City Councils, Island Councils, and WDCs will be contested, with polling scheduled for April 4. Of the 294,937 eligible voters, 144,527 are women and 150,410 are men.
Members of the Election Commission hold a press conference | Raajje MV
The Elections Commission of Maldives (EC) has officially opened the application process for candidates wishing to contest in the upcoming City Council, Island Council, and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections.
In an announcement on Saturday, EC specified that the application window is open from January 17 until 03:30pm on February 1. Applications will be accepted daily from 08:30am to 03:30pm, except on Fridays, when the submission window will be from 3:30pm to 6pm.
The commission emphasized that all candidates must meet the eligibility criteria stipulated in Article 12(a) of the Local Council Elections Act and Article 18 of the General Regulations for Local Council and Women’s Development Committee Elections 2026. A total of 11 specific requirements have been outlined for prospective candidates.
The local elections will involve the selection of City Mayors, City Council members, and female members of City Councils. In addition to this, Presidents of Island Councils, general council members, and female Island Council members will be elected. For the WDC elections, chairpersons and committee members will be elected for both islands and cities.
According to EC, all necessary documentation and the required administrative fees for candidacy must be submitted through the “My Elections” portal at my.elections.gov.mv.
The commission also noted that all official decisions regarding applications and further notifications to candidates will be communicated exclusively through this portal.
EC has urged all applicants to ensure that their documentation is complete upon submission. Candidates with criminal or debt records must provide comprehensive details. If a court has ordered a payment, documentation from the relevant authority confirming full payment or adherence to a payment plan must be submitted. All such records and supporting documents must be compiled into a single PDF file not exceeding 5MB.
Polling for the 2026 Local Council Elections is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 4 April 2026, from 8am to 4pm. The counting of votes will commence 30 minutes after the polls close on the same day. Under the General Elections Act, the commission cannot change the designated voting hours unless a natural disaster or an extraordinary event occurs. The official results are expected to be announced on April 11.
In this election cycle, members will be elected for a total of 225 constituencies across various councils. This includes the election of 678 members for local councils and an additional 678 members for Women’s Development Committees, totaling 1,356 elected positions.
According to the voters’ list released by the Elections Commission, a total of 294,937 individuals are eligible to vote, comprising 144,527 women and 150,410 men.
