Elections in Maldives

Maldivian citizens aged 18 or older can vote if they are not legally ineligible and appear correctly in the Voters’ Registry. The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) compiles the registry from the National Database. It records the voter’s name, date of birth, sex, national identity card number and permanent address, including atoll and island. The registry is published through the Government Gazette, the ECM and councils. Voters can check their details through ECM services or MyPortal; during the 2026 election period, an SMS in the form “VR [ID]” could also be sent to 1414. A voter who is away from the permanent-address island can apply to the ECM for re-registration at another location. The publication of the updated name, sex, address and polling place, as well as the application deadline, depends on the election timetable. Maldives uses different election procedures for different offices. Presidential elections use a direct secret ballot. A candidate needs more than half of the valid votes. If no candidate reaches that level, the two leading candidates enter a runoff within 21 days. A tie for second place can produce a three-candidate runoff; if no candidate then reaches more than half of the valid votes, another runoff between the two leading candidates follows within 21 days. In the People's Majlis, each constituency elects one member. The 2024 election had 93 seats. A tied result can lead to a runoff within 15 days, and a constituency with only one qualifying candidate can result in a direct declaration. Vacancies are filled through by-elections. Local elections cover Island Councils and City Councils. Their positions can include a council president or mayor, other council members and a seat reserved for a woman. Women's Development Committee (WDC) elections select a WDC president and member. As a dated example, the local council and WDC elections held on 4 April 2026 covered 225 seats and 294,937 eligible voters. Referenda and election-specific arrangements can use different notices and polling locations. Depending on the election, polling may be arranged in Malé, inhabited islands, resorts, jails or abroad. At a polling station, the voter presents an unexpired Maldivian national identity card, a Maldivian passport or a valid Maldivian driving licence. The identity document must match the registry. Officials mark the voter’s finger, issue one ballot and the voter marks the chosen candidate. More than one mark can make a ballot invalid in presidential and parliamentary elections. Mobile phones cannot be used to make photographs, audio or video recordings in the voting area. A voter who is waiting in the queue when the station closes retains the right to vote. Disability assistance and a tactile ballot template are available for blind or visually impaired voters. The ballot box is shown empty to the first two voters and then sealed. Counting begins at the time set by the ECM. Candidate representatives and approved observers can attend the count. Officials count ballots at the polling station, announce a preliminary public result and send sealed materials and security envelopes to the main station in Malé. The ECM publishes the official result and the elected person in the Government Gazette within seven days of the election, and it also provides an official results dashboard. Candidates receive election-specific notices stating the election type, qualifications, documents, deadlines and voting locations. An official election agent is required. Parliamentary candidates must be Maldivian citizens with no other citizenship, Sunni Muslim, at least 18 years old and of sound mind, subject to constitutional exclusions. A naturalized parliamentary candidate must have held Maldivian citizenship for at least five years and be domiciled. Parliamentary candidates pay a MVR 5,000 deposit; presidential candidates pay MVR 100,000. An independent parliamentary candidate needs support from at least 50 adults, while an independent presidential candidate needs support from at least 1,500 adults. Campaign rules allow candidates to meet voters, speak, hold peaceful assemblies, use media, distribute letters and campaign material, display emblems and place advertisements. Broadcasters must provide equitable or equal allocation until 18:00 on the day before polling; state broadcasters must provide free airtime to presidential candidates. Campaign accounts must be held in Maldives. Foreign, government and anonymous contributions are prohibited. The general spending limit is MVR 2,000 per eligible voter. Candidates submit audited financial statements within 21 days, while presidential candidates submit an audit report within 60 days and keep records for at least six months. A deposit is returned within 30 days when the candidate receives more than 10% of the votes; a candidate below that threshold forfeits it. Voters, candidates, political parties, approved observers or monitors and election officials can submit complaints to the ECM during an election. The ECM can investigate and impose penalties, while a Complaints Bureau or special committee may handle the matter. A petition to the High Court against an election act, an ECM decision or an official result must generally be filed within 14 days after the official result. The Prosecutor General can bring criminal charges where the facts support them.