Fijians interested in participating in the forthcoming Local Government Elections will be required to re-register as voters, according to Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa. This announcement came during a media briefing held in Suva.
Mataiciwa clarified that although the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) maintains a national register for General Elections, voters must re-register specifically for the Local Government Polls. Those who complete the re-registration process will receive a new voter card indicating their designated polling venues for both Local Government and General Elections.
Voters who choose not to re-register will still be able to use their existing voter ID cards when the next General Election takes place. For independent candidates looking to contest the Local Government Elections, the requirements are minimal—simply eight signatures and a payment of $200.
In an update on the voting process, Mataiciwa indicated that the elections will utilize a first-past-the-post system, differing from the threshold requirement in the General Election format. The activities leading up to the Local Government Elections will kick off next Friday with an awareness campaign aimed at informing voters about the process.
Voter registration is set to take place from April 13 until the issuance of the writ by the Electoral Commission. Additionally, recruitment for election officials will occur between April 13 and May 16, with training scheduled from July 27 to August 16. Candidates will compete for 141 councilor positions across a total of 40 wards, utilizing 72 polling venues distributed throughout the central, eastern, northern, and western divisions of Fiji.
This proactive approach by the electoral office aims to facilitate a smooth electoral process, ensuring that all eligible voters are prepared to make their voices heard in the upcoming elections.