Reduction in tourist resort polling stations will deprive about 10,000 citizens of their right to vote: TEAM

The Elections Commission’s decision to reduce the number of polling stations they are to place in September’s presidential elections will deprive about 10,000 citizens of their right to vote, tourism employees say.

Mauroof Zakir, secretary-general at the Tourism Employees Association of the Maldives (TEAM), expressed concern about the commission’s decision to only have ballot boxes with at least 250 Maldivian staff.

With voting scheduled for the Sunday of September 23rd, Zakir attested that this is a rather ‘hectic season’ for resort staff and taking leave to vote in another island or resort, unless it's in one extremely close, is something employees would find ‘impossible’ to do.

Zakir described this as an ‘unnecessary loss’ and encouraged management to set up polling stations and called on the Elections Commission and the government to address the matter.

However, the commission said on Tuesday that it has thus far received no complaints over the locations of their polling stations. The commission is placing over 400 ballot boxes in total, while there are over 18,000 local staff at the 132 resorts in operation currently.