Big Poll Staff Drive Starts July 28 2000 plus

Up to 17,000 expected to staff more than 2000 poll station in 2018 General Election.

The Fijian Elections Office will soon start a recruitment drive for up to 17,000 election officials for the 2018 General Elections.

This has been confirmed yesterday by the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, during a press conference at the Fijian Elections Office in Suva.

The recruitment drive will be held on July 28 at Kshatriya Hall in Des Voeux Road, Suva. The recruitment drive for the other divisions will start on August 1.

Mr Saneem said the drive was a major component of the election preparations and conducting it early was important.

The election officials, he said would staff more than 2000 polling stations around the country on elections day next year.

The recruitment drive will be open to all registered voters regardless if they are currently working or not. Mr Saneem said everyone would have to apply, even if they were election officials in 2014. However, for those working he said their em- ployer would need to give consent for them to work during the general elections.

So far we have had 10 general elections since independence until 2014 when all officials were primarily civil servants.

Mr Saneem said the country had followed an international trend where elections were conducted by ordinary citizens, adding it favoured the principal of creating ownership in the election process, as well as democracy.

The Electoral Act, he added allowed the Fijian Elections Office in 2014 to independently recruit election officials throughout the nation under a national drive.

In 2014, they received 15,609 applications out of which around 11,000 were recruited.

The elections officials, Mr Saneem said, were trained by their trainers who led them to deliver the 2014 General Elections accordingly; also setting a standard for elections in the future.

He said officials in 2014 carried out their role diligently and were commended by observers and voters for their performance.

The FEO, Mr Saneem, said was committed to providing excellent customer services.

He said the Multinational Observer Group also praised the work of election officials in the 2014 General Elections.

polling stations expected around the country in 2018 General Eelections