Voters urged to beat registration rush

Fijians who have not registered to vote or have moved house should visit a Voter Services Centre now.

This was the message from Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa today, who warned that “it’s always a last-minute rush”.

Ms Mataiciwa said the Fijian Elections Office’s YES Outreach teams would finish their field work on Saturday.

Voter Services Centres would remain open after that, providing voters with other opportunities to register or update their details.

What to bring

• An original or certified copy of a birth certificate to prove you are 18 or older.
• A valid photo ID.

“For those that have registered, you have misplaced it, lost it, damaged it, it’s free of charge,” she said.

Ms Mataiciwa urged voters to check the address on their voter cards.

“If you know that you have moved places and your current address is not reflected on your voter card, I urge you to please come down to get it updated,” she said.

She did not provide an updated registration figure. The final number of registered voters will be released after the election date is announced. The office recorded 723,771 registered voters as of June 30.

Overseas Fijians

Over the past two years, Elections Office teams have visited more than 10 locations where Fijians live, including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

Ms Mataiciwa said the online postal application for the referendum was open to Fijians living abroad.

The office would explain how to vote in the referendum, she said. However, awareness about the constitutional Bill was the responsibility of “another stakeholder”.