Pre-polling

Pre-polling started yesterday (Monday) and over 700 people cast their votes.

Today is the second day of pre-polling.

Savali Newspaper reports 4,320 voters registered for pre-polling are aged 65-years and over.

549 voters are persons with disabilities, 919 are special and vital service providers and 2,682 are caregivers to the elderly and those with disabilities.

104 are those, who needed to vote before leaving Samoa between 5-9 April 2021.

There are 432 ballot stations/locations, which includes 328 normal voting booths and 96 pre-polling booths.

About 8,000 voters can cast their ballots over four days before Friday's election.

The publication of first results has raised questions among commentators as it might influence the remaining voters.

The Electoral Commissioner Faimalomatumua said they had decided not to 'sleep on the results' and would continue to count and announce the results each day.

189 candidates, including 21 women, are contesting the 50 seats for a five-year term in the legislative assembly.

Polling booths opened this morning for a four-day pre-polling period.

189 candidates, including 21 women, are contesting the 50 seats for a five-year term in the legislative assembly.

RNZ Pacific reports the ruling Human Rights Protect party has 105 candidates, FAST or Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa party has 52, Tautua Samoa party 14, Samoa First five, the Sovereign Independent Samoa party one, and 12 candidates are independents.

This follows complaints from some voters that candidate committees were inappropriately approaching them.

According to the Elections Office, there were complaints about candidate committees using the completion of application forms, to induce voters.

“The OEC sees this as a real threat to the integrity of pre-polling process and has decided to suspend accepting anymore pre-polling forms.

This was confirmed by Electoral Commissioner, Faimalo Mathew Lemisio prior to the by-elections that has been set for tomorrow.

The applications belonged to voters for the electoral constituency of Gagaifomauga No.3 that took advantage of the pre-polling options as allowed under the country’s amended election laws.

Superintendent of Police, Misa Tauveve Sefo Pati and his team monitored the sealed pre-polling box throughout the morning until noon.