The Elections Commission (EC) has announced that it has received a total of 1,633 applications for the upcoming local council and women’s development committee (WDC) elections, as of 10:00 a.m. today.

According to the EC, 750 applications for local council elections were qualified, while 183 were incomplete and 77 were resubmitted. For the WDC elections, 574 applications were received, with 126 incomplete forms, of which 34 have been resubmitted.

The EC opened nominations for both elections on January 17, and the deadline to apply is 3:30 p.m. on February 1. EC President Mohamed Zahid stated that candidates must submit their applications through the online portal using their verified eFaas accounts. Applications can be submitted daily from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., except on Fridays, when submissions will be accepted from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A total of 1,356 members will be elected in this year’s elections, including councillors for local councils and members of women’s development committees. The EC also said that 294,937 people are eligible to vote, including 144,527 women and 150,410 men.

For the elections, 321 ballot boxes will be placed across the atolls, with an additional 240 ballot boxes set up in Malé, Hulhumalé, and Vilimalé for residents of Kulhudhuffushi City, Fuvahmulah City, Thinadhoo City, and Addu City. Ballot boxes will also be placed at industrial sites, prisons, and resorts, while two overseas ballot boxes will be located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Colombo, Sri Lanka.