ECM Opens Re-Registration for North Hithadhoo By-Election Voting

The Elections Commission of Maldives has opened voter re-registration for citizens wishing to cast ballots in a location other than where they are currently registered for the North Hithadhoo parliamentary by-election.

The by-election is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 6 June 2026. Re-registration opened at 10:00 a.m. today and will remain open until 1:00 p.m. on Monday, 18 May.

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According to the ECM, only individuals wishing to vote in a different location from where they were registered for the 2026 Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections are required to apply.

Voters previously registered in Malé, Hulhumalé and Vilimalé for the local council elections will automatically be registered to vote in Malé for the by-election. Meanwhile, individuals registered to vote in resorts, prisons or islands other than their island of residence will have their voting location changed to their permanent address in the eligible voters’ register for this election.

Applications for re-registration can be submitted online through the ECM’s re-registration portal or My Portal. Applicants using the re-registration portal must upload a copy of a valid identification document and a photograph.

Those applying through My Portal using a verified eFaas account are not required to submit a photograph or ID copy.

The ECM said voters can check their current registration status by sending “VR” followed by a space and their ID number to 1414 via SMS. Registration status can also be checked through the Commission’s online portal.

Two candidates are contesting the North Hithadhoo seat: Ahmed Saeed of the ruling People’s National Congress and Abdulla Sodiq of the Maldivian Democratic Party.

Voting is scheduled to take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on 6 June. A total of 4,114 people are eligible to vote in the by-election.

The ECM said seven ballot boxes will be placed for the vote, including two in Malé and five in Hithadhoo.