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Elections Commission (EC) has begun accepting criminal record clearance forms for candidates contesting the 2026 local council elections and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections, scheduled for 4 April.
In an announcement on Thursday, the commission said it was opening submissions early to make the process easier for prospective candidates.
Criminal and debt records, which must be dated after 1 December, are among the documents required for candidacy.
EC said it has been accepting criminal and debt record clearance forms through the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) and the Maldives Correctional Service since last Thursday.
Candidates are required to submit:
- Crime and debt records obtained from the DJA’s records.judiciary.gov.mv portal
- A form from the Maldives Correctional Service on the candidates criminal record
- A debt clearance statement from MIRA if a court has issued a payment order
EC said that councilors and WDC members will be elected from 226 constituencies. The commission has already announced the recruitment of more than 7,000 officials to staff polling stations.
The local council elections are projected to cost around MVR 80 million, according to earlier EC estimates.
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