Polling station vote count to remain

Transparency in the counting process is not negotiable.

This was emphasised by Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Usaia Ratuvili today after he confirmed that ordinary ballot papers would be counted at polling stations in the 2026/2027 General Election.

He said there were no plans to change the practice used in the 2014, 2018 and 2022 elections.

Justice Ratuvili was responding to six civil society groups that had asked Justice Minister Filimoni Vosarogo not to bring new Section 89A of the Electoral Act 2014 into force.

The section allows the commission to approve counting at centres instead of polling stations. The groups warned that this could open the door to ballot tampering.

“The default is the votes are counted at the polling stations,” Justice Ratuvili said.

Pre-poll and postal ballots will continue to be counted at a central venue, as they were in the past three elections.

Section 89A remains in the law. Justice Ratuvili said the commission could use it only if there was a “credible risk”.

“There has to be something concrete,” he said.

He said the Fijian Elections Office would raise the concern with the commission, which would then meet, with a quorum of four, to make a decision.

The commission would not approve any further centralised counting unless safeguards were in place.

These would include secure transport and storage of ballot boxes, a documented chain of custody, and oversight by party polling agents and accredited observers.

“Those arrangements must also be made publicly available,” he said.

Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa said itineraries would be provided to the media, polling agents and observers, showing where they could watch the process, including the printing of ballot papers.

Mr Vosarogo said earlier this week that the law was intended to provide flexibility if the election and referendum were held together, which he said was a strong possibility.

No details were provided on how referendum ballots would be counted.