The Elections Commission (EC) has announced that 12 additional ballot boxes will come online for the second-round run-off of the presidential election, bringing the total number to 586. This is to accommodate re-registrations of those who have opted to vote at stations outside of their resident districts, the elections body said.
More than 50,000 forms had been submitted for re-registration in the second round of the presidential election, EC had earlier confirmed.
Details for the additional boxes are as follows; three additional boxes for Malé residents; one each for residents of Haa Alifu atoll, Shaviyani atoll and Laamu atoll living in Malé, one for residents of other districts living in Villimalé, four for residents of other districts living in Hulhumalé and one additional box in Thiruvananthapuram for Maldivians stationed in India.
EC on Saturday made public the updated voter rolls with details of the re-registered boxes for the second round.
The elections body will also recruit additional monitors for the second round.
EC Vice-President Ismail Habeeb said that 99 polling stations, out of the more than 500, will be converted to accommodate more voters, and that 350 monitors are needed for the 12 additional boxes, while 200 more officials are needed for the reserve pool.
Malé Mayor Mohamed Muizzu, the Progressive Party of the Maldives endorsed People’s National Congress (PPM/PNC) candidate, and incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate, having garnered the most votes in the first round with 46 percent and 39 percent respectively, will compete for the nation’s top job in the second round run-off of the presidential elections on 30 September.