Statement by the Supervisor of Elections
Mr Mohammed Saneem
FEO Ground Floor Conference Room
30/10/22
Time: 12pm
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission,
The FEO Team
Members of the media,
Ladies & gentlemen,
Bula Vinaka and Good Afternoon to you all.
As the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission has advised, the Prime Minister has informed the President that the parliament has been dissolved and the election date has been announced- 14/12/22.
Postal Voting Applications Open
Ladies and gentlemen, following the announcement of the Election Date, Postal Vote applications, as per Section 67 (2) of the Electoral Act, are now being accepted by the Fijian Election Office.
For those who intend to apply for Postal Voting in this election, the following is the eligibility criteria;
You must be a registered voter who:
- is living outside of Fiji or will be outside of Fiji on Election Day;
- is unable to travel to a Polling Station due to serious illness, religious beliefs or work commitments or;
- is under pre-trial detention or sentence of imprisonment.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the FEO anticipates that there would be those who will be working in essential services, the tourism industry, aged care facilities or any other sectors who may not be able to leave their workplaces on Election Day. They can also apply to vote via a Postal Ballot.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you can apply for Postal Voting in one of two ways:
- Collect the Postal Voting application Form from any of our offices, fill out all the necessary details and drop it with us. The form is also attached to the back of the Election Information Booklet.
OR
- Download the Postal Voting Application Form from feo.org.fj/postal, fill it out and upload it on the same platform with a copy of your VoterCard.
It is important to note that only applications made on the published forms will be processed and we will not be entertaining any letters, or requests, or any forms that are not approved by the Electoral Commission.
Before sending in the Postal Voting Application Form, voters must ensure that they have filled out all the required details correctly to avoid any delays in receiving their postal packages.
If you are currently tuning in from overseas, you may apply for Postal Voting using either the Blue or Green VoterCard. Both VoterCards are acceptable. The Postal Voting Application Form requires your name as is on the VoterCard and your VoterCard number.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please ensure that your Form is witnessed by the correct authority and that you provide us with the latest and most current address for delivery of the Postal Voting Package by either DHL or EMS.
Postal Voting applications will close at 5.00pm on 23rd November 2022. The FEO will not accept any late applications.
Launch of Voter Registration Drive
Furthermore, Ladies and Gentlemen, voter registration will close on the day the Writ is issued which is tomorrow. If you intend to vote in the 2022 General Election but are yet to register, if you need to update your voter details such as residential address or upgrade to the latest Blue VoterCard, please make your way to the nearest Voter Registration Centre.
The Snap Voter Registration Drive is currently going on and immediately after this announcement the FEO will be setting up additional Registration Centres in various hotspots around the country. Please feel free to visit any of these centers.
The schedules will be posted on the Fijian Elections Office Facebook page.
We understand that now there will be a huge queue due to the big last minute rush, but Ladies and Gentlemen, at this stage, it would be wise for me to say that the registration teams have been out there since October 2021 and if you are rushing today, I hope that you are able to make it on time to upgrade to the latest VoterCard, so when it comes to voting on Election Day, it is very convenient to you.
1500 Platform
Ladies and gentlemen, the Fijian Elections Office has already activated the ‘1500’ Platform. So, anyone who is not sure about where they have to vote can text their VoterCard number to 1500 and you will be informed of your Polling Venue. Alternatively, the latest Blue VoterCard also has your Polling Venue details written on it.
If you have moved or changed your residential address, this is your last chance to update your address with us so we can assign you to a Polling Venue that is near your home. If you are not able to have it changed before the Writ is issued, then ladies and gentlemen, that will be the Venue where you will be voting.
For those of you who may not be able to reach your assigned Polling Venue, you may apply for Postal Voting.
With all these said Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you very much and we look forward to delivering the 2022 General Election.
Vinaka Vakalevu.
