Election Commission President Mohamed Zahid announced Saturday evening that preparations for the upcoming referendum on Addu City Council’s jurisdictional composition are nearly complete.
Speaking on PSM’s Raajje Miadhu programme, Zahid said the first draft of the voter list has been published and re-registration is underway. Of the 255 applicants, 248 have already re-registered.
Ballot papers are currently being printed, and ballot boxes are being prepared for dispatch to designated polling stations. Zahid confirmed that 18 polling stations will be set up for the vote:
Male’ City: 7 boxes at Kalaafaanu School  
Hulhudhoo: 2 boxes at Hulhudhoo School, 1 at Atoll Madharusaa  
Meedhoo: 3 boxes  
Feydhoo: 5 boxes  
The final results will be announced the day after the vote, scheduled for Saturday, October 25.
This referendum, held under the newly enacted Public Referendum Act, is the first of its kind and will determine whether Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo, and Feydhoo will form a separate council from the current Addu City Council.
Advocacy groups including Transparency Maldives and the Maldives Local Councils’ Association have raised concerns about the rushed timeline, limited voter inclusion, and lack of public consultation.