Voter registration drive to start on May 22
The Fijian Elections Office will commence its 2017 nationwide voter registration drive on May 22 and it continues to July 1.
Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem confirmed this at a press conference in Suva yesterday.
Mr Saneem said this year’s national drive would also include an annual nationwide school registration, a process continued since 2014.
The process would also incorporate the display of national register of voters with data as of March 20 this year.
“The usual voter services such as voter registration, replacement of voter cards, amendment or correction of details, application for change of polling venue, or upgrade to voter card 2.0 will be provided at all our temporary booths that we will set up.
“Voters are required by law to advise the FEO of changes in the residential address which the law states the changes should be done within 21 days,” Mr Saneem said.
In the coming weeks, the FEO’s voter registration team will be deployed to all stations in Fiji visiting villages, settlements and other communities.
“At the same time, our teams will take the opportunity to carry out another assessment of the polling venues in those areas. “Teams in urban centres will be stationed throughout major towns and supermarkets across Fiji as it’s been in our practice and also at locations convenient to the general public so that we can offer these services,” Mr Saneem said. Mr Saneem said visiting schools by voter registration teams was recognised as an international best practice.
“As earlier alluded to voter registration teams will be visiting secondary schools having had made arrangements with the Ministry of Education as well as the school heads in urban and rural areas to register first time voters as we had been doing in the past. “The FEO believes that the best way to empower our voter is to enable the person to register immediately when they become eligible.
“All Fijians who wish to use these services will have to fill in a form and will have to provide the necessary requirements as per the form.”
For new registrations, Mr Saneem said one would require a birth certificate as well as a valid photo ID to register.
“If you do not have a photo ID, we will require another registered voter to verify you,” Mr Saneem said.
The further details, times and locations will be published on the FEO website as well as the daily newspapers.
The oldest registered voter in the system in Fiji is a 108-year-old female who was born on January 1, 1909, and the oldest registered male voter is 105-years-old who was born on September 18, 1912.