The Election Commission (EC) has confirmed that the local council elections and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections will be held on April 4, 2026.  
Members will be elected from 226 constituencies nationwide.  
The EC has also announced the recruitment of over 7,000 polling officials. Applications must be submitted via e-pass before 15:00 hrs on December 21.  
In addition, the Commission is hiring staff across multiple departments, including Human Resources, Administration, Media, Public Relations, IT, Finance, and Legal. Applications should be sent to [email protected] with the required documents.  
Political parties have begun preparations. The ruling PNC, Maldives’ largest party, opened candidacy opportunities on Monday.
Meanwhile, Parliament, where the government holds a clear majority, has amended the Constitution and relevant laws to abolish Atoll Councils and reduce councilor numbers in sparsely populated islands.