Voter re-registration opened for referendum
President Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the referendum will be held on 4 April alongside the Local Council Elections.
The Elections Commission has opened a new period for voter re-registration following the decision to hold a public referendum on the same day as the Local Council Elections.
The Elections Commission announced that the re-registration window was opened after the People’s Majlis passed a constitutional amendment to combine presidential and parliamentary elections and shorten the current parliamentary term. Under the Constitution, the amendment can only take effect if approved by voters in a national referendum.
President Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the referendum will be held on 4 April alongside the Local Council Elections. Following the announcement, the Elections Commission gazetted the referendum and opened re-registration.
According to the commission, the re-registration period will remain open for four days, including public holidays, and will close at 3:00pm on Sunday. The commission said the re-registration is limited to voters who wish to change their currently registered voting location.
A previous re-registration period for the Local Council Elections ended last Monday. The commission said the current process is separate and applies to both the council elections and the referendum.
Voters can check their registration status by sending an SMS to 1414 in the format “VR [space] ID number”. Registration details are also available through the commission’s online portal.
Applications for re-registration must be submitted online through the commission’s Re-registration Portal or My Portal. Applicants are required to submit a copy of a valid identification document used for voting and a live photograph. Submissions made through My Portal require a verified eFaas account, while applications submitted through eFaas do not require an uploaded photograph or ID copy.
The government has said the constitutional amendment is intended to reduce election-related costs. The opposition has said the proposal would extend the administration’s control.
If approved, the amendment would require presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on the same date. The current 20th People’s Majlis began its term on 28 May 2024. Under the existing Constitution, the term would end in May 2029. The proposed amendment would set the parliamentary term to begin on 1 December for a five-year period, bringing the current term to an earlier close.
