Death Threats and Observer Disputes Caused Delays at Some Polling Stations

Voting at some polling stations was delayed after disputes over ballot invalidation escalated, and officials received death threats, an official from the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) said.

The Maldives held nationwide elections yesterday, including local council elections, Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections, and a public referendum on whether to ratify the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which proposed holding presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously.

According to an ECM official stationed at the South Galolhu polling station at Imaadhudheen School, voting concluded at 5:00 p.m., in line with the extended hours. However, disagreements among observers delayed the counting process, which continued until 1:00 a.m.

“The vote count at my polling station ended at 1:00 a.m. The vote count at the polling station next to us was ongoing even by 3:00 a.m.,” they said.

The official said the main issue concerned how invalid votes were determined. Under ECM regulations, if a ballot sheet contains a drawing or marking, the entire ballot is considered invalid. This applies to both council and WDC ballots, where voters cast votes for multiple positions on the same sheet.

“Ballots are deemed invalid if there are any markings such as drawings. This means the entire ballot is rejected, even if the drawing appears only on one section, including in council and WDC ballots where markings on either half invalidate the whole sheet,” the official said.

Observers from both the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) raised concerns over the rule, arguing that ballots were being fully invalidated even when markings appeared next to only one choice.

The official said observers representing PNC at one station refused to continue observing the count until the issue was resolved at a neighbouring station, contributing to delays. The situation escalated, with reports of threats made against election officials, including the station leader at a nearby polling station.

Disagreements between observers led to further disruptions, with some individuals breaching restricted areas, delaying the counting process for several hours. Police intervened to de-escalate the situation.

At South Galolhu, counting was also delayed after PNC observers withdrew from the station. Ballot boxes were opened after an ECM official confirmed that counting could proceed in the presence of an MDP representative, a voter from the station, and a representative from an independent organisation. The official said PNC later raised concerns but allowed counting to continue.