Voting begins on formation of separate island councils in Addu City

Voting has begun this morning on the formation of separate island councils in Addu City.

Polling was scheduled to start at 8 am, although some stations opened late due to a low early turnout, including Feydhoo, where voting began past 8 am.

As of 9am, just 320 people; three percent of the 9,200 eligible voters had cast their ballots, according to the Elections Commission (EC).

An EC official told PSM that some voters had issues with identification documents. Voters are required to present a valid ID card, passport or driving licence to vote. Digital cards or photos of these documents on mobile phones are not accepted, the official said.

By 11am, voter turnout had risen to 1,189 people, or 12 percent of the eligible voter count, including 534 women and 655 men. That leaves 8,387 voters yet to cast their ballots.

A total of 9,576 people are eligible to vote in the referendum, which runs until 4 pm. They include:

There are 18 polling stations in total: three in Hulhudhoo, three in Meedhoo, five in Feydhoo, and seven in Male'.

Ballot boxes in Male' have been placed at Kalaafaanu School.

EC said provisional results will be announced at polling stations in Addu City once counting concludes.

Final results will be announced tomorrow.

This is the first referendum held under the Referendum Act on the administrative separation of Meedhoo, Hulhudhoo and Feydhoo from the Addu City Council.

Fifteen years ago, on 9 October 2010, a vote was held to decide whether Addu’s islands should merge under a single city council. The results showed residents of Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo and Hulhudhoo supported the move, while those in Feydhoo and Meedhoo opposed it.

In that 2010 vote, 397 people supported forming a city council, while 494 voted against it, out of 3,571 registered voters.

In Meedhoo, 77 voted in favour and 271 against, from 1,880 eligible voters. In Hulhudhoo, 102 voted in favour and 93 against, from 2,566 registered voters.

Fifteen years on, Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo are again seeking administrative separation from the Addu City Council.