Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has revealed that more than 11,900 individuals have so far applied for re-registration for the presidential election.
ECM has received 11,933 re-registration forms from July 16-30, which include 8,624 online forms and 3,309 physical forms. ECM have rejected hundreds of forms and most of the forms were rejected as the applicants had already re-registered to Male' in the 2020 local council elections while some were rejected due to expired national ID cards.
ECM is making the information on the re-registration forms available on its website to ensure maximum transparency in the election process. The electoral body is also disclosing the relevant information to the political parties and has advised individuals to re-register quickly to avoid last-minute delays.
The opportunity to re-register is open from July 16 to August 5. However, the opportunity for online re-registration will close on July 31, after which, voters will have to submit physical forms until August 5. Forms can be submitted to Dharubaaruge' convention centre, the main headquarters of ECM, or focal points in the atolls. In addition, an individual is limited to submitting 10 forms at a time for online re-registration but a political party or an official institution can submit 100 forms at a time with their stamp and an official letter.
ECM introduced online re-registration to enhance convenience and accessibility and facilitate an easier registration process for the general public. The electoral body stated that individuals who re-registered to vote in the 2020 local council elections will not need to go through the re-registration process again for the upcoming presidential election.