Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections 2021

EC President Ahmed Shareef has revealed that 173,909 votes have been cast in the 2021 Local Council and WDC Elections.

Shareef confirmed in a tweet that 88,010 men and 85,899 women have voted in the elections, which totals 63.37% of eligible voters.

Voter turnout in the elections was markedly low earlier in the day but have since surpassed the EC's earlier projections. Voter turnout in the Local Council Elections in 2017 had been marginally higher at 65.9% of all eligible voters.

117 out of 713 vote boxes have now been closed.

The Elections Commission have disclosed a list of polling centers where voting times have been extended in the 2021 Local Council and WDC Elections.

The Elections Commission has announced that all voters will be able to cast ballots if they are in queue to vote by 6pm.

Earlier arrangements had seen the hour between 5pm and 6pm reserved for quarantined, Covid-positive or traveling citizens.

Voters in line at the time queues are closed will be permitted to vote past 6pm.

The Elections Commission have not been able to confirm the quarantine status of voters at poling stations between 5pm and 6pm, and was never given access to a list of quarantined persons who would wish to vote by HPA.

The central-south constituency ballot box in Fuvahmulah City has been closed for voting.

205 men and 274 women totaling 479 individuals cast their votes during Saturday's polls.

Elections officials will begin counting ballots at 6:30pm.

The Elections Commission has revealed that 155,192 people have cast their votes thus far.

Out of this, 79,007 are men and 76,185 are women.

This makes up 43 percent of eligible voters who have cast their ballots.

The commission has closed of vote queues for three polling stations.

The Elections Commission has revealed that over 138,000 eligible voters in the LCE and WDC elections have cast their ballots so far.

Alhan Fahmy, who is contesting for the position of the capital, Malé City's mayor, has urged citizens to come out and participate in the LCE polls in order to make a difference.

Casting his vote in the ongoing council elections, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Ahmed Mahloof urged the public to exercise rights to vote and show involvement in electing their representatives for the upcoming five years.

Transparency Maldives, in its observation of the Covid-19 regulations being followed during the opening of polls across 34 polling stations identified, revealed that 79 percent of queues were well managed to ensure social distancing.

Further, TM revealed that 85 percent of elections officials were wearing masks and temperature was taken at the entrance 91 percent of the time.

Arrangements for hand washing and sanitizing were available across all polling stations, TM stated.

Observers associated with Transparency MV are active at 34 polling centers across 29 islands in 19 atolls of the Maldives. Based on their data and findings, all 34 of the polling centers under observation opened before 8am with complete polling committees to fulfil the roles of elections officials.

The Elections Commission of Maldives has revealed that voting has now begun at all ballot boxes stationed across the nation.

A total of 713 ballot boxes have been placed across the country for the ongoing Local Council and Women's Development Committee elections 2021.

Former Vice President Abdulla Jihad arrived at the Kangaroo Kids Preschool to cast his ballot for the central-Henveiru constituency.

Vice President Faisal Naseem has also cast his vote in the ongoing polls.

The vice president cast his ballot at the Maafannu Stadium where a ballot box has been stationed for Fuvahmulah residents.

Speaking to press afterwards, VP Naseem stated that the elections are observed to be proceeding in accordance with HPA guidelines as a safeguard against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highlighting that Maldives is headed towards a decentralized governance, VP Naseem urged the public to exercise their voting rights and let their votes speaks for them.

Releasing their preliminary findings based on observations of the Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections, Transparency Maldives revealed that the voting process appears to be proceeding smoothly.

Former President and current Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has cast his vote for the 2021 Local Council Election. He cast his vote at the Galolhu Stadium.

Speaking to press afterwards, the leader of main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) urged all citizens to exercise their right to vote.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih cast his vote in the 2021 Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections just a few short hours ago.

In a tweet, President Solih has since highlighted the importance of citizens' contributions in establishing a decentralized government in the Maldives. The President has requested that citizens cast their ballots early in the day

The Elections Commission has revealed in a tweet that voting centers in the 2021 Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections will be closed at 6pm if no voters are present at centers to vote at that time.

Notable findings on behalf of HRCM include how voting had been delayed at some centers due to no voters having been present when polls opened. Further, the HRCM also highlights that some citizens are not observing social distancing and other Covid-19 vote-safety measures despite being masked when attending voting centers.

During the press, HRCM also stated that voting had begun on time at all voting centers across Maldives without much incident.

Due to the prevailing risk of Covid-19, the HRCM has encouraged citizens to vote early in order to avoid mingling with other voters in long queues later in the day.

Observers associated with Transparency MV are active at 34 polling centers across 29 islands in 19 atolls of the Maldives. Based on their data and findings, all 34 of the polling centers under observation opened before 8am with complete polling committees to fulfil the roles of elections officials.

While some discrepancies were noted in a handful instances on preparations at polling stations ahead of the vote, TM notes that materials required to conduct the elections were available at all 34 of the polling centers.

The TM press statement also highlights that hand-washing and sanitizing arrangements had been made at all 34 polling centers, and that the voting situation across the Maldives remained calm as of 8:30am on Saturday.

Four ballot boxes have been stationed in Sri Lanka for Maldivian residents to cast their votes.

Foreign Minister Shahid has voted in the 2021 Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections, and has urged all citizens to fulfil their civic duty by participating in the vote.

The Elections Commission has confirmed that voting will continue past 6pm for quarantined, Covid-positive and traveling voters who remain in queue at voting centers across Maldives.

EC President Ahmed Shareef affirmed that ballot boxes will remain open past 6pm until all voters already present and queued at voting centers cast their ballots.

EC President Shareef has stated that voting cannot be halted at polling centers across Maldives, and has warned against citizens disrupting peaceful vote procedures.

Shareef also called for voters to not infringe on others' right to vote freely in the elections, and encouraged all complaints to be submitted formally for review to the Elections Compliance Bureau.

EC President Shareef has stated that elections officials will be able to inform Covid-positive voters of their designated voting stations once they reach out to the Elections Commission.

Shareef notes that according to law, HPA cannot disclose a list of Covid-positive persons to the Elections Commission, and that elections officials would otherwise be contacting Covid-positive voters proactively.

EC President Shareef reiterates that the commission had not been given a list of Covid-positive patients, and that the commission does not know how many potential voters would be among them.

While the voting population of Dhiffushi is 710, only 200 voters are not under quarantine at this time. 510 persons on K. Dhiffushi are currently quarantined due to possible exposure to Covid-19.

EC President Shareef has proposed that voting for non-quarantined voters end at 2pm on Dhiffushi, as it will be impossible for all 510 quarantined voters to cast their ballots in one hour between 5pm and 6pm as previously designated.

Update: Voting to close for 200 non-quarantined voters at 2pm.

President of the Elections Commission Ahmed Shareef has revealed that voting has proceeded smoothly across atolls, with no complaints as of now. However, he noted that the Elections Advisory Board were now consulting on issues being faced at the K. Dhiffushi voting center, as voting times were making it inconvenient for some citizens to cast their vote.

EC President Ahmed Shareef went on to thank HPA for their support, and revealed that 17 percent of the total eligible population had cast their votes by 10:45am on Saturday. This totals 44,026 votes, of which roughly 26,000 correspond to votes cast by men, along with 17,000 or so ballots cast by women voters across the country.

Shareef projects the voter turnout for the elections to be somewhere between 38 and 40 percent at the close of the day.