8 February set as deadline to update voters registry information

Elections Commission (EC) has announced 8 February as the deadline for registered voters to submit changes to the address at which they have been registered to vote, and to submit valid identification to confirm voter eligibility for the Local Council and Women's Development Committee (WDC) elections.

EC has announced they have begun efforts to compile and finalize the voters registry for the Local Council and Women's Development Committee (WDC) elections, scheduled to be conducted on 10 April 2021.

EC further announced that no changes could be brought to the voters registry after 8 February, and requested citizens to submit complaints and alterations to their registered voting addresses before the deadline.

The Local Council and WDC elections, scheduled to be held on 4 April last year, were postponed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The People's Majlis convened in extraordinary sessions earlier this month, to pass special legislation that would allow EC to conduct elections within a state of public health emergency. The Local Council Elections Special Provisions Act 2020 require the elections to be conducted within one year of ratification of the bill. As such, the final deadline to host the elections, following amendments to the Local Council Elections Special Provisions Act, is 10 May 2021.

The bill also requires the elections commission to inform the People's Majlis if the commission is unable to host the elections within 30 days after the confirmation of the fact. While the elections are set to be conducted on 10 April, voting will be held between 7am and 5pm. Votes will be counted 30 minutes after voting stations close on the same day. The official results of the Local Council and Women's Development Committee elections will be announced on Saturday, 24 April 2021.