By: Jasmine Netzler-Iose, Gvt Press. At the closing of registrations for Pre-Polling on Saturday 16 August, the Office of the Electoral Commission recorded a total of 5,053 applicants.
Pre-polling is scheduled to take place next week on Wednesday 27th August with eligible voters casting their votes at specific polling booths across the country and nearest them.
According to information released by Electoral Commissioner Toleafoa Tuiafelolo Alexander John Stanley, there will be one polling location in each electoral constituency – so a total of 51 options for pre-poll voters.
Voting booths will be open from 9am to 4pm. Votes cast during pre-polling will be treated as special votes, to be counted after the general elections.
Voting on pre-polling day is not open to anyone. Only citizens who have been pre-approved by the Office of the Electoral Commission to cast their votes on pre-polling day for specific reasons will be able to vote on this day, reminds the Electoral Commissioner.
Toleafoa has also confirmed that all voters and scrutineers are not permitted to have phones except the one utilised by polling officials at the polling locations.
Other restrictions inside the polling locations include the prohibition of wearing clothes featuring names of candidates or political parties, as well as talking and being noisy.
101,981 Registered Voters
At the closing of registrations, the O.E.C. confirmed a total of 101,981 eligible voters for this year’s general elections from the 51 constituencies, 26,876 voting in Savaii and 75,105 in electoral constituencies in Upolu.
The O.E.C. has published an official list of polling locations across the country for both pre-polling and general elections for the 51 electoral constituencies across Upolu and Savai’i.
CANDIDATES
The OEC has also released a public notice listing the official names of candidates.
According to Toleafoa, a total of 191 candidates had registered with the OEC.
However, one had pulled out of the race, while two were declared eligible to run by the Supreme Court of Samoa following legal challenges.
As a result this year’s general election will see 188 candidates contesting parliamentary seats for Samoa’s 51 constituencies.
ONLINE REGISTRATION STATISTICS
According to Toleafoa at the closing of online registrations, a total of 13,237 people took advantage of this service.
330 from overseas and 12,907 from Samoa.
However, out of the 330 registrations from overseas on 72 have fully completed the process and are eligible to vote, while 10,044 voters from Samoa have fully registered to cast their votes at the polls next week.
The total number of those who opted to register on this service but have not fully completed the procedure is 3,121 – 258 from overseas and 2,863 from Samoa.
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