Voting commenced Saturday morning in a parliamentary by-election for the North Hithadhoo constituency, an election triggered by a Supreme Court ruling that unseated the district’s previous representative, the Elections Commission of Maldives announced.
Polls opened at 8 a.m. and are scheduled to remain open until 4 p.m. to accommodate the 4,121 eligible voters who hold the right to participate in the contest, according to the commission. Election officials have printed 4,154 official ballot papers for the parliamentary race, slightly exceeding the total electorate.
Seven ballot boxes have been deployed across two hubs. In Malé, two boxes are stationed at the Dharumavantha School south building, split between the east and west sides of the library. The remaining five boxes are located in Addu City at Hithadhoo School, distributed across the south, middle, and north sections of the school hall, and classrooms one and two.
Strict regulations govern what individuals may bring into polling centres to ensure the integrity of the vote. Voters are permitted to carry only an ordinary pen with blue ink alongside an accepted form of identification, which includes a national identity card, a passport, a passport card, or a driver’s licence. Handbags, files, and any devices capable of recording audio or video are strictly prohibited.
The race features Ahmed Saeed, running on behalf of the ruling People’s National Congress, and Abdulla Sodiq, representing the Maldivian Democratic Party. The seat became vacant after the Supreme Court ruled that Mohamed Sinan, elected in 2024, held a judgement debt and failed to make payments in accordance with a prior legal judgement.