Voting Begins for Decisive Dhaalu Atoll Meedhoo Council President Poll

Voting has commenced for the tie-breaker election to determine the president of the Dhaalu Atoll, Meedhoo Council, with polling stations opening on schedule at all designated locations, according to the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM).

The ECM has established three ballot boxes for the election. Two ballot boxes are located at Dhaalu Atoll, School in Meedhoo, while a third has been placed at Dharumavantha School in Malé for registered voters residing in the capital.

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Polling began at 8:00 am and will continue until 4:00 pm.

According to the ECM, 1,049 people are eligible to vote in the election. Of those, 587 voters are registered in Meedhoo, while 462 voters have registered to cast their ballots in Malé.

The commission reported that 209 voters had cast their ballots by 10:00 am.

The tie-breaker was triggered after the Local Council Elections 2026 ended in a deadlock between the two candidates contesting for the council president position. The tie resulted from a court ruling that declared one ballot from the Dh. Meedhoo-2 ballot box valid.

Two candidates are contesting the election: one representing the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) and the other representing the Maldivian Development Alliance (MDA).

The outcome of the vote will determine who assumes the presidency of the Dhaalu Atoll, Meedhoo Council following one of the closest contests in this year’s local elections.