EC Decides to Punch Holes in Unused Ballot Papers

Photo: Elections Commission
Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has announced a new measure to mark unused ballot papers following the presidential election. The decision was reached after consultations with political parties.
During a meeting convened by the National Advisory Committee on Elections, the opposition coalition recommended the immediate destruction of unused ballot papers to safeguard the integrity of the presidential election.
However, ECM clarified that such a course of action was legally unviable, as unused ballot papers can only be destroyed 14 days after Election Day. As an alternative, the electoral body proposed the option of either cutting corners or punching holes in the ballot papers.
Subsequently, during the latest ECM meeting, the members considered the suggestion put forth at the National Advisory Committee gathering and decided to punch holes in the unused ballot papers. This would effectively render them invalid before securely sealing them in envelopes after the conclusion of polling.
Ismail Habeeb, the Vice President of ECM, explained that the decision was taken with the aim of bolstering public confidence in the electoral system. Addressing the opposition’s concerns regarding the unused ballot papers, he emphasized that they had previously requested the ECM to promptly destroy these papers after voting concludes.
However, Habeeb reiterated that such a request was illegal, and instead assured that officials will visibly punch holes in the unused ballot papers in the presence of the public following the closure of polling.
The presidential election is slated to take place on September 9, with a possible second round scheduled for September 30.