Fijian Elections Office dumps election app, returns to media centre

After confusion over results reporting during the 2022 General Election, the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) is going “back to basics.”

The office has confirmed it will scrap its Results Mobile App and bring back a media centre for the next general election; a move aimed at improving accuracy, transparency, and public trust.

The decision follows widespread complaints from voters and journalists that the mobile app and website displayed different results during the last election, causing uncertainty and frustration on polling night.

Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa told the Parliamentary Committee on Justice, Law, and Human Rights during their submissions on Monday, that the 2022 General Election highlighted the risks of relying too heavily on technology for real-time updates.

“With the app, we had to constantly upload results, which put pressure on our results team and caused confusion,” Ms Mataiciwa said.

“Sometimes the app showed different results from the website or from what was given to the media.”

She said the FEO now plans to return to a traditional media centre setup, similar to the one used successfully in the 2014 and 2018 elections.

“For the upcoming general election, we’ll bring back the media centre. Media representatives will be there in person and will receive live verified results directly from the national results centre,” she explained.

Opposition MP Jone Usamate supported the move, saying that accuracy should always come before speed.

“It’s better to take more time and make sure results are correct, then let the media do its job of informing the public,” he said.

Ms Mataiciwa added that the FEO’s goal is to ensure the results process is clear and trustworthy for everyone.

“We want to make sure that when results are shared, there’s only one source of truth and that’s from us at the centre,” she said.

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