Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections 2021

Speaking to the press at the polling station, President Solih expressed hopes that Saturday's vote will be another resounding elections victory for MDP, emphasizing the importance of securing the hotly-contested Male' City Mayoral election. President Solih projected that MDP would win the Male' City Mayoral vote with a 60 percent majority.

While addressing citizens, President Solih acknowledged the difficulties being faced at present in conducting the elections. However, the President highlighted just how critical it was that more citizens voted in the elections, which would see the most autonomous and powerful councils elected for local governance in the Maldives' history. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was also optimistic that voter turnout would improve into the afternoon, and called for all citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote as safely as possible.

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom, who is serving a five-year prison sentence after having been found guilty of money laundering, will likely boycott the 2021 Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections.

Yameen is registered to vote at a box in Male' City (Central Mahchangolhi-1). As he is currently observing his prison sentence at the Maafushi Prison complex, Yameen will not be able to participate in Saturday's elections unless extraordinary efforts are made to transport him to Male' City before voting centers close.

Former President and Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has been seen traveling between different voting stations to oversee the vote of citizens across the capital.

The President is expected to cast his vote at 10:30am

While the Local Council and WDC Elections of 2021 have now commenced under special conditions following a year of delays, voter turnout remains worryingly low at polling stations. The election is the first of its kind being hosted following the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic in Maldives.

With councils being afforded more authorities and resources than ever before under the amendments to the Decentralization Act, these elections are critical to shaping the next two years for President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration and main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed has revealed that more than 360 officers are active in facilitating voting for inmates across four ballot boxes stationed at prison complexes in Maldives.

Front-running Male' City Mayoral candidates Anas Abdul Sattar and Dr. Mohamed Muizzu have cast their votes in the 2021 LC and WDC Elections, along with MDP PG Leader MP Ali Azim and President of the Elections Commission Ahmed Shareef.

EC President Ahmed Shareef encourages all citizens to be Covid-cautious while exercising their right to vote freely.

Those traveling to islands to vote without quarantine have been asked to not visit any other locations on the island aside from the polling center. Traveling voters will also be required to stay in separate accommodation designated to them without intermingling with the island community, and must return to their island of departure within 48 hours.

Those traveling to vote in the elections will be allowed to visit polling centers at the same time as other quarantined persons voting on the island, and will be required to strictly adhere to the health and safety regulations set forth by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) while casting their votes.

EC President Ahmed Shareef has revealed that Maldivian citizens residing in India and Sri Lanka have begun casting their votes in the 2021 Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections.

Citizens can check their voter registry by texting VR [space] National ID Number to 1414

The Elections Commission have revealed that 2,718 citizens have cast their votes over the past hour and a half. This includes ballots cast by 1,962 men and 756 women voters as of now.

Despite 7am being the time designated for citizens to cast their ballots, voting has yet to start for 195 out of 713 ballot boxes across the country. EC President Ahmed Shareef highlights that voting has not begun at some centers as there are no citizens present to vote.

President of the Elections Commission Ahmed Shareef shares the latest vote updates on social media.

243 ballot boxes in Male' City

325 ballot boxes in atolls and across the cities of Kulhudhuhfushi, Fuvahmulah and Addu

137 ballot boxes in resorts

4 ballot boxes in prisons

4 ballot boxes in Sri Lanka

1 ballot box in India

As of now, voting has begun in less than half of designated voting centers across the country.

As voters begin casting ballots in the Local Council and WDC Elections across the country, 120 candidates have already secured seats prior to the vote.

90 candidates from across 31 WDC's have defaulted seats prior to the election, along with 30 candidates elected to 22 positions across local councils.

A total of 3,934 candidates are contesting in Saturday's elections, including 2,264 candidates contesting for local councils and 1,670 candidates contesting for seats in WDCs. It can be noted that a number of candidates withdrew their names from the ballot last-minute as the elections were delayed due to Covid-19. The EC reports that 308 candidates contesting in the elections withdrew their names from the ballots between June 2020 and February 2021.

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) have sent teams of officers to different islands ahead of the vote to oversee security at voting centers nationwide, with over 2,000 MPS officers having been mobilized on elections day.

Elections officials have been making final preparations at polling centers across the Maldives before admitting voters to cast ballots in this year's Local Council and WDC Elections.

Just before voting for the Local Council and WDC Elections begin across the Maldives, President of the Elections Commission Ahmed Shareef has requested that citizens cast their ballots freely, and safeguard their health against Covid-19 while exercising their right to vote.

As per elections procedure, the High Court will now begin accepting complaints in relation to the Local Council and WDC Elections of 2021.

Elections complaints can be submitted through the High Court's reception between 9am and 10pm on 10, 11 and 12 April.

The Elections Commission has revealed that voting will be delayed in the islands of M. Raiymandhoo and GA. Thinadhoo, as elections officials will be traveling to those islands from other locations.

Voting will be conducted on these two islands on 10 April 2021, between 8:30am and 5pm.

The Elections Commission revealed that those in quarantine and those positive for Covid-19 will not be allowed to use public transport when arriving at voting centers, and will be required to vote between 5pm and 6pm at their designated voting centers on Saturday.

Covid-positive and quarantined persons will only be allowed to vote after all other citizens have cast their ballots across the Maldives. Such voters will also be required to observe strict masking, hand hygiene and social distancing measures, and will not be permitted to interact with others at voting centers.

While the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has allowed quarantined persons to vote in the elections under set procedures, voters will also be able to travel to islands without having to quarantine on Saturday. As such, citizens will be allowed to travel to islands to vote without quarantine, but must remain in separate accommodation. These voters will be required to return to their island of departure within 48 hours, as the travel permit will only be valid until 11 April 2021.

A total of 273,128 citizens are eligible to vote in the polls, out of which 5,134 will be first-time voters. This is the highest number of new voters to participate in an election so far. However, voter engagement close to the elections has been less than ideal across the Maldives in 2021; be it due to Covid-19 or disinterest in available choices on the ballot, the spirit of the elections seem to be lost on many. This may be especially true for young and first-time voters, who would otherwise have represented a significant percentage of total votes cast.

3,934 candidates are contesting for seats across 220 constituencies and 181 women's development committees across the Maldives this year in the Local Council and WDC Elections. This will include 2,264 candidates contesting for local council seats and 1,670 candidates contesting for women's development committees.

Voters will be heading to polls with the unprecedented pressure of the pandemic around them; the elections have been delayed severely due to Covid-19, and Saturday's vote will likely see much lower voter turnout than in previous elections.