The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has announced that voting for the second round of the presidential election will be open from 0800hrs to 1700hrs.
Voting for the first round of the election was open until 1600hrs. However, ECM has held discussions with the National Advisory Committee on Elections and decided to extend the timeframe by one hour for the run-off to allow the opportunity for more voters to cast their ballots.
At a press conference, Vice President of ECM Ismail Habeeb said that some voters were unable to cast their ballot after arriving late at the polling stations. As such, he said that the timeframe for voting has been extended by one hour and the commission is unable to extend it further.
Additionally, Habeeb said that the procedures are the same as before and that officials will begin counting the ballots 30 minutes after closing the polling stations. The final results will be announced on October 8.
Furthermore, Habeeb divulged the various issues that occurred during the first round, such as the position of some voting booths that undermined the secrecy of the vote. He said that these issues will be addressed in the second round by making changes to the design and placement of the booths, adding that the polling stations will also be designed to make it easier for people with disabilities. He also noted the behavioral issues exhibited by some officials and said that more focus will be given to training them.
Moreover, Habeeb said that ECM was unable to place more ballot boxes in resorts and other countries that requested it. However, he said that the opportunity to establish polling stations at more locations will be open during the re-registration process from September 15-17.