Election Commission Vice-Chairman Abdul Rahman Salah Rasheed says accurate dissemination of election information is key to protecting the rights of both candidates and the public.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of a training program for polling trainers, Salah said officials must ensure that voters receive clear and correct information about the upcoming local council elections.
“Polling officials will be able to work without violating the rights of the public and candidates if election information is properly shared,” he said.
Salah added that training programs like these are essential to safeguarding electoral rights.
The Election Commission said 95 trainers have now completed their training and departed for islands on Saturday to begin training 7,000 polling station officials. The trainers were trained between January 3 and 10, and the next phase of training begins Sunday.
Phone shows the Elections Commision's My Portal login page. (Photo/Elections Commission)
The commission had earlier announced the recruitment of 7,000 officials for the April 4 council elections, with vacancies open until December 21 for roles in HR, administration, media and public relations, IT, finance, and legal.
Major parties have begun internal preparations for the elections. The ruling PNC held its primaries late last year, while the opposition MDP is scheduled to hold its primaries on January 16.
Ahead of the elections, Parliament, where the government holds a clear majority, passed changes to council composition, reducing the number of councillors in smaller islands and abolishing Atoll Councils.