Voter turnout reaches 72% in local elections
A total of 294,876 individuals were eligible to vote. Data released by the commission shows that 214,898 voters participated.
Provisional results from Saturday’s elections indicate that 72.88 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots, according to the Elections Commission of Maldives.
The elections included Local Council Elections, Women’s Development Committee (WDC) Elections, and a referendum on whether Presidential and Parliamentary elections should be held at the same time.
A total of 294,876 individuals were eligible to vote. Data released by the commission shows that 214,898 voters participated.
Polling began at 8:00am and was scheduled to close at 4:00pm. By that time, turnout stood at 62.98 per cent.
The commission extended voting after queues remained at polling stations. Queues were closed at 5:00pm, and voting continued until about 10:30pm, when all ballot boxes were sealed.
The turnout represents an increase compared to the 2021 Local Council Elections. In 2021, 189,517 voters participated out of 273,128 eligible voters, resulting in a turnout of 68 per cent.
Provisional results also indicate that the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) secured the majority in both the Local Council and WDC elections.
In the referendum, a majority of voters rejected the proposal to hold Presidential and Parliamentary elections on the same day.
