Anyone with a green voter card who has not upgraded to the new blue voter card on election day, will still be able to vote.

This was the clarification made by Supervisor of Election, Mohammed Saneem in a press conference last Friday.

Mr Saneem revealed that close to 96,000 Fijians had not updated their green voter cards to the blue one.

“We will treat it as if a person did not bring a valid ID, we will look up their photos on the voter list and we will verify that with the person and the person will still be able to vote,” he said.

“If there is anyone that is spreading news that 96,000 people are now disenfranchised, that information is absolutely incorrect. They will still be able to vote.

“Once you are registered in the national registrar of voters, you are registered for life unless you are removed because of reasons stated in the law.”

He said the only difference was that having a blue card meant a person knew their polling venue right in the palm of their hands while having the green card meant one had to take an extra step to find out where they would be voting.

“Then when you reach a polling venue you have to be verified again before being able to cast your vote.”

He also clarified that those who had misplaced their voter card but turned up to the polling station with a picture of the voter card on the phone would still be allowed to vote.

“We will be able to match your face with the one we have on the voter list.”

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