The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has revealed that voters will be identified by a mark on their left-hand ring finger during the upcoming second round of the presidential election. Voters were marked on the left index finger during the first round of the election.
According to the Elections General Act, which stipulates that a different finger should be marked if elections are held in close succession, ECM has chosen to use the left ring finger during the second round. As such, durable markers will be used for the identification process.
Secretary General of ECM Hassan Zakariyya explained that the decision aligns with the newly established regulations. ECM is currently in the final stages of preparations for the election, with the distribution of ballot papers and other materials to atolls and international locations underway for the second round.
Voting will commence at 0800hrs and conclude at 1700hrs in the Maldives. A total of 282,804 eligible voters, including 409 newly registered voters, are included in the final voters' list. The 285,631 ballot papers printed by the ECM for the second round is an increase of 412 ballots in comparison to the 285,219 ballot papers printed for the first round of the election. The regulations require that each ballot box receive a surplus of ballot papers, exceeding the actual number of voters by 1%.
The second round of the presidential election is scheduled to be held on September 30 after none of the candidates received 50% of the votes to win in the first round. The two candidates who moved on to the second round are Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the candidate of the opposition People's National Congress (PNC), and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the candidate of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).