The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) has opened nominations for the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections, marking the official start of the election process ahead of polling scheduled for Saturday, April 4.
According to the Commission, voting will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on election day. Nominations for both elections opened today and will remain open until 1 February at 3:30 p.m.
ECM said nomination forms may only be submitted during official working hours. Applications will be accepted from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on all days except Sundays. On Sundays, submissions will be received between 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
In a significant departure from previous elections, the Commission announced that all nominations must be submitted online. Candidates contesting both the local council and WDC elections are required to upload all relevant documents and pay the applicable administrative fees through ECM’s digital portal, my.elections.gov.mv. All decisions related to nominations, including approvals and notices, will also be communicated through the same platform.
The Commission said elections will be held across 225 council constituencies, with 678 members to be elected to local councils and another 678 members to women’s development committees, bringing the total number of elected representatives to 1,356.
Based on the voters’ register released by ECM, 294,937 voters are eligible to vote in the council elections. This includes 144,527 women and 150,410 men.
To facilitate voting nationwide, 321 polling stations will be established across the atolls. In addition, 240 polling stations will operate in Malé, Hulhumalé and Villingili to serve voters from Kulhudhuffushi City, Fuvahmulah City, Thinadhoo City and Addu City.
Special arrangements have also been made for voters in specific locations, with three polling stations to be set up in industrial islands, five in prisons, and 50 polling stations in resorts. The Commission further confirmed that two overseas ballot boxes will be placed for the council elections—one in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and another in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
ECM noted that the April 4 elections will be conducted with a high level of digitisation, particularly in administrative processes, reflecting a broader push to modernise election management and improve efficiency.
Under the Commission’s permanent constituency determination report, 626 councillors will be elected to island councils, while 52 councillors will be elected to city councils. Among the 133 island councils, some will elect three councillors—including a council president and one female member—while 46 island councils will elect five councillors, comprising a council president and two female councillors. The number of members elected to women’s development committees will mirror those elected to island and city councils.
