The Elections Commission has announced their decision to increase the number of polling stations to be placed in resorts from 36 to 42.

The commission on Tuesday opened the opportunity for re-registration at resorts with over 100 Maldivian workers and announced that they would be placing polling stations in six additional resorts.

The commission last week announced that they had increased the number of ballot boxes to be placed in resorts to 36, with commission President Ahmed Shareef adding that they do not wish to place polling stations in more than 70 resorts. He also said that the commission would disclose information on the resorts that refused to place ballot boxes. However, the commission is yet to announce a list of said resorts.

EC’s initial decision was to place polling stations in just seven resorts which drew criticism from the general public, the opposition, resort workers as well as the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), following which the EC had increased the number of ballot boxes to be placed in resorts.

The commission had initially decided to place polling stations in resorts that had over 250 eligible voters, but the change to add more came mere hours after PPM Deputy Leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla called to revoke the decision, following which EC declared to reduce the required number to 100 eligible voters.

While 132 resorts are currently operating in the Maldives, in the Presidential Election of 2013, polling stations had been placed in 40 resorts.

EC has decided to place over 470 ballot boxes in different parts of the country for the September Election.