The National Advisory Committee for Elections has held discussions regarding the use of a single voting ballot paper in the upcoming Local Council Elections slated for April 2020.
The procedures of the upcoming elections are to be in line with the recently ratified amendments to the decentralization of administrative divisions act.
During the National Advisory Committee for Elections meeting held on Tuesday, discussions were held with the Elections Commission of the Maldives (EC) and information was shared regarding the ballot paper for the local council elections.
As such, Elections Commissioner Ahmed Shareef revealed that the commission has discussed using a single, large voting ballot paper in the upcoming Local Council Elections. Shareef stated that the ballot paper will include separate sections for the categories of city council mayor, city councillors, the constituencies with city council seats reserved for women in addition to island councillors, and the constituencies with island council seats reserved for women.
Shareef further disclosed that a separate ballot paper will be used for the committees on women’s development in cities and islands.
He went onto confirm that the election will feature only two ballot papers; the ballot paper for the local councils, and the ballot paper for committees on women’s development.
Shareef claimed that using separate ballot papers for each category causes confusion for the voter, and delays the vote-counting process, making the entire elections process inefficient.
The National Advisory Committee for Elections supported and approved the EC's decision.
EC further discussed printing the ballot paper in colour and in an easily understandable format, even if the procedure is expensive.
The upcoming local council elections will elect 19 councillors, including mayors, for Male' City, 13 councillors for Addu City, and seven councillors for Fuvahmulah City.
Following Kulhudhuffushi island in Haa Dhaal atoll being recently declared a city, a city council election will be held in Kulhudhuhfushi. Hence, the Elections Commissions has begun preparations to hold a city council election in Kulhudhuhfushi as well.
