SOME Rotuma islanders say they want to vote on the same day as the rest of the country and have their ballot papers counted locally, rather than relying on the current pre-polling system.
Speaking during consultations with the Electoral Law Reform Commission, Saau Injimo of Juju district expressed concerns about the handling and transportation of ballot boxes to Suva, saying counting votes on the island would be more secure and efficient.
“Rotuma is a faraway place, if it is counted here the results can be called out straight away,” he said.
Electoral Law Reform commissioner Diedre Brookes explained that under the current electoral process, Rotuma is pre-polled ahead of election day due to its distance and logistical challenges.
“Pre-poll means exactly that, polling before election day,” Ms Brookes said.
She noted that pre-polled ballots could not be counted until after election day, as per election regulations.
However, if Rotuma were designated its own constituency and held polling on election day, votes could be counted locally.
“That’s something we’ll eventually look at in our report.”
