Fiji’s Elections Office recorded nearly 2000 visits to their office this week, including a little over 200 new registrations for the 2022 Elections.
Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem described the development as encouraging particularly with voter services centres resuming operations in cities and towns across the country, starting tomorrow, to process new registrations, attend to queries and make changes to voter details including issuance of the upgraded blue cards for those still holding onto green cards.
When visiting these centres, all persons are requested to have on them their original birth certificates whether they were born in Fiji or elsewhere. For persons whose birth certificates are in another language, the FEO will accept a translation version of their birth certificate. Otherwise, the FEO will make do with their certificate of naturalisation or passport records.
“There are people who are asking questions about the validity of the green card, …that green card has expired,” Saneem said. “I don’t think anybody will accept the green card as a valid ID anymore.”
There are also blue cards that were issued from 2018 that do not have polling venues on them, these are still valid, Saneem said. However, to find out which polling venues they have been assigned, these voters will need to update their details which can be done at the centres as well
The FEO plans to carry out similar exercise in rural areas and/or communities.
Changes to voter details and registration will continue until the writ of the 2022 Elections is issued.
Voter Service Centre venues:
- Friday, 8 October 2021
- Suva at the VSC office (Old Fiji Visitors Bureau office) – 15 teams
- Navua at the Provincial Administrator’s Office – three teams
- Sigatoka at the Provincial Administrator’s Office – two teams
- Nadi at the Nadi Sangam School – three teams
- Lautoka at the FEO VSC centre and Lautoka Muslim Primary School – seven teams
- Ba at the St Theresa Catholic School – three teams
- Rakiraki at the Ra Provincial Administrative Office – two teams
- Labasa at the Legal Aid Building – two teams
Saturday, 9 October 2021
As above plus:
- Suva Civic Centre – 15 teams
- Nasinu, Laqere Market (from 7am to 1pm) – seven teams
- Rups Mega Complex operating hours – seven teams
- Nausori Town – 5 teams
Sunday, 10 October 2021
- Nakasi Mega Complex – 15 teams
- Nadi at the Namaka market – three teams
- Lautoka – five teams (likely at the Tappoo City building)
Monday
Normal operating hours from FEO voter service centres