The Elections Commission (EC) has opened registration for visually impaired individuals who wish to vote in the upcoming local council and women’s development committee elections.

Visually impaired voters can register to use a special voting template by calling 1414 before 10:00 pm on Monday, 23 February. Registration is open daily from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm, except on Fridays when it runs from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

The voting template was first introduced in the 2023 presidential election, allowing visually impaired voters to mark their ballots independently. EC previously conducted training programmes in Malé and the atolls to familiarise voters with the template.

For the upcoming elections, 294,937 people are eligible to vote, including 144,527 women and 150,410 men. A total of 621 ballot boxes will be placed across the country, including 321 in Malé, Hulhumalé, and Villimale’, as well as in Kulhudhuffushi, Fuvahmulah, Thinadhoo, and Addu City. Additional boxes will be placed at industrial sites, prisons, resorts, and abroad in Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

A total of 225 constituencies will elect 626 island councillors and 52 city councillors. Most island councils will elect three councillors, including a president and a female member, while larger councils and city councils will elect more councillors according to EC’s delimitation report.