Voting Begins Across Maldives for LCE, WDCE, and Public Referendum 2026
A man casting his vote at a ballot station in Iskandhar School on April 4, 2026 | Photo: MV+
Voting for three simultaneous elections across the Maldives began today at 8:00 a.m, with polls set to remain open until 4:00 p.m.
The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) is overseeing the Local Council Elections, Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections and a national referendum. The commission has urged the public to vote early, while more than 8,000 local and international observers and monitors have been deployed to ensure the process is transparent, fair and peaceful.
As of 9:19 a.m., ECM said voting had commenced at 585 of the 588 ballot stations nationwide.
“The centers where voting has not yet commenced are those where the two members of the public required to begin the voting process have not yet arrived,” ECM said.
ECM shared that voting commenced at all ballot stations by 9:32 a.m..
The commission noted that 1,592 candidates are running in the local council elections, while 1,368 candidates are running in the WDC elections.
The referendum seeks public opinion on whether to support the President ratifying the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution Bill, which was passed by parliament on 10 February 2026. The proposed amendment would align parliamentary elections with presidential elections and revise how parliamentary terms are calculated.
A total of 294,876 people are eligible to vote, including 144,506 women and 150,370 men. The commission has placed 588 ballot boxes across the country, with the Maldives Police Service (MPS) deployed to maintain security.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday evening, ECM President Mohamed Zahid described the vote as significant, noting that citizens are making three important national decisions.
The commission has also established 119 coordination centres to address any issues during polling and ensure voting continues without disruption. Mohamed Zahid expressed hope for a high voter turnout.
The ECM added that voters may choose to participate in any of the three votes, whether for local councils, WDCs or the referendum on holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day.
