ECM Affirms that Digital ID’s Will Not Be Eligible For Voting

Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) has officially declared that digital IDs will not be accepted as a valid means for casting votes in the upcoming presidential election.

ECM’s announcement specifies that only conventional forms of identification will be permissible for voting during the election. 

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

These acceptable forms of identification include standard ID cards, passports, licenses, expired passports, expired passport cards, and expired driving licenses. It is important to highlight that individuals must provide a physical copy of one of these documents when arriving at the polling station to vote, as no alternative documents will be recognised.

In light of this directive, ECM strongly advises voters to take prompt action to renew their ID cards if they are nearing expiry or have already expired. 

ECM has further reaffirmed its decision to refrain from incorporating digital ID cards and EFAAS in any aspect of the presidential election.

Scheduled for the 9th of the upcoming month, the presidential election is set to witness the participation of eight candidates competing for office. Notably, a total of 282,395 eligible voters are anticipated to engage in the electoral process, with an additional 27,000 new voters joining the electorate.

To facilitate the electoral process, the authorities will establish 574 polling stations strategically across the region.