general elections

Fiji Elections Office app back online after glitch

Supervisor of elections Mohammed Saneem briefed media in the early hours of Thursday morning saying attempts to restart a failed data transfer had caused the app to glitch out and give a disproportionate amount of votes to some candidates with two in particular receiving a boost of about 28,000 and 14,000 votes respectfully.

Fijians heading to the polls today

This is the country's third election under the 2013 constitution.

In the race are 343 candidates from nine political parties and two independents vying for a seat in the 55-member parliament.

Voting will take place at 855 polling stations from 7.30am to 6pm Fiji time, or until after the last voter in the queue at 6pm has voted.

The Fijian Elections Office has announced that all voters will be provided free transport today.

Fiji Elections Office monitors weather ahead of poll day

According to the Nadi weather office, a heavy rain warning remains in force for Viti Levu, Yasawa, and the Mamanuca Group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, and nearby smaller islands, and the Lau and Lomaiviti groups.

Saneem said they understand that during pre-polling, a few areas in the interior where their teams were located had faced adverse weather conditions.

Observers readied for Fiji election

Mohammed Saneem took the observers through a comprehensive presentation on the elections process as well as the preparations of the Fijian Elections Office leading up to the issue of writs in late October.

Saneem said the observers will be deployed from today to various parts of the country where they will be observing electoral processes on the day of polling.

Fiji Elections Office gives time frame of results

With Election Day on Wednesday, the FEO said there will be provisional results rolled out all night until 7am Thursday.

All the results will be loaded and the outcome will be released at least four days after poll day.

Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem said this all depends on what happens with the provisional results.

“This is not predictable unless, of course, it’s a major difference in votes. But if it is not conclusive by 7am like the US election, you will have to wait until we finish data entry of all the results in four days.”

Fiji Elections Office makes pre-poll amendments

FBC News reports Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem said this was done to meet the need of voters and in some cases, their safety.

He said FEO staff were unable to reach a pre-poll venue in Vanua Levu due to a flooded river and they will have to wait until the water subsides to cross the bridge.

He added in another case, schedules were moved to accommodate students, who are sitting their external examinations.

The SOE added any changes made to pre-poll schedules are updated to the general public as well as political party registered officers.

Papua New Guinea voters head to the polls

Voters will elect 118 members of parliament, including governors of the 22 provinces, from the 3,600-plus candidates nominated.

There are 6,000 polling teams in the 22 provinces.

There have also been reports that polling in the capital, Port Moresby has been delayed.

Papua New Guinea's caretaker Prime Minister James Marape appealed to the nation to pray for peace and calm ahead of polling.

Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai said the polling dates would differ according to the regions and provinces.

Cook Islanders go to the polls on August 1

The election August 1 date was announced on Tuesday by The Queen's representative Sir Tom Marsters on national radio.

The Chief Electoral Officer, Taggy Tangimetua said the 49-day turnaround to polling day is the "shortest she has ever seen in the Cook Islands."

The Cook Islands Electoral office said voter registration is open until June 20th, while nominations for election candidates open on June 21st and close on June 30th.

Australian federal election to be held 21 May

Morrison locked the date in today after visiting the Governor-General in Canberra. It sets up a six-week campaign that will pit Mr Morrison's Liberal-National Coalition against a Labor Party led by Anthony Albanese.

Mr Morrison said he did not think his government was "perfect" but that the public would judge it on what it had done over the last term.

"Our government is not perfect - we've never claimed to be, but we are up-front and you may see some flaws but you can also see what we have achieved for Australia in incredibly difficult times," he said.

Samoa's Supreme Court rules against AG motion

The FAST party, which is locked in a 26-seat deadlock with the Human Rights Protection Party, was challenging the electoral commissioner's decision to add the seat, which went the way of the caretaker HRPP government, creating the deadlock.

The constitution provides that 10 percent of parliament's seats be reserved for women, but it also specifies that that is five seats. This is the crux of the argument -- the election saw five women elected, or 9.8 percent.