Public awareness must come before e-voting, says EC president

Elections Commission (EC) President Mohamed Shakeel says there are no physical barriers to introducing electronic voting in the Maldives, but public awareness and confidence must be established before such a system can be implemented.

Speaking in an interview with PSM, Shakeel said the public was not yet ready for e-voting and that educating citizens about how the system works should be the first step.

"Physically, we face no obstacles in doing this. However, it can only be implemented after a sustained, long-term effort to educate the public, and only when citizens demonstrate that they are ready for the transition," he said.

Shakeel was appointed EC President late last month following the resignation of former president Mohamed Zahid.

His remarks come amid debate over the government's proposed Maldives 2.0 Digital Transformation Bill.

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs have alleged that the bill could be used to introduce electronic voting ahead of the 2028 presidential election. They have claimed the move is intended to bypass existing legal requirements and facilitate electoral fraud.

Government MPs have rejected those allegations.

Shakeel said discussions on e-voting have taken place over many years and noted that concerns about vote manipulation are frequently raised whenever the issue is discussed.

He said this was why public education and awareness would be essential before any transition to an electronic voting system.

"We cannot introduce such a system until the true facts of how it operates are communicated to the citizens, and until the public is thoroughly informed and educated on it," he said.

Shakeel added that while the introduction of e-voting could be enabled through legislative amendments, the issue is one of public interest and should only proceed once the public has sufficient understanding of the system.