The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has acknowledged public concerns over the large number of invalid votes in the second round of the presidential election and stated that the issues will be resolved for the parliamentary election in 2024.
A total of 4,835 votes were deemed invalid in the first round of the presidential election, while 7,888 votes were invalid in the second round. ECM noted that the number of invalid votes increased along with the voter turnout. Close to 80% of eligible voters cast their ballot in the first round while 87% voted in the second round.
However, ECM acknowledged the concerns and stated that discussions are being held to implement solutions for the upcoming parliamentary election. The commission highlighted that officials work hard to improve the electoral process after each election but that budgetary issues cause delays in the implementation of solutions. It further commended the officials for working diligently to fulfill their responsibilities despite setbacks.
A second round of the presidential election was scheduled after none of the candidates received 50% of the votes to win in the first round. The two candidates who had moved on to the second round were Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the candidate of the opposition People's National Congress (PNC), who received 46% in the first round, and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the candidate of the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), who received 39%.
Dr. Muizzu secured 126,586 votes in the second round of the presidential election, which is 54% of the total ballots cast. In contrast, Incumbent President Solih garnered 107,611 votes, securing 46% of the vote, resulting in a margin of over 19,000 votes in favour of Dr. Muizzu.