On Saturday, voters across the Maldives will cast up to three ballots in the most complex election day since the introduction of multiparty democracy in 2008. They will choose who governs their municipal affairs for the next five years, directly elect Women’s Development Committee presidents for the first time, and vote on a constitutional amendment that could permanently reshape how the country holds national elections.

What is on the ballot?

Local council elections.

Island and city council members for a five-year term. Council sizes depend on population: three members for islands with fewer than 2,000 registered residents, five for larger islands. This year’s councils will be the first to operate without elected atoll councils above them. Last year, the ruling party’s supermajority in parliament amended the Decentralisation Act to abolish atoll councils effective May 27. Island councils will answer directly to the Local Government Authority.

Women’s Development Committee elections

WDC presidents were previously chosen from among committee members. For the first time, all island residents – men and women – will directly elect WDC presidents, who will serve in a full-time, paid capacity. Island councils must allocate at least five percent of their block grant to the WDC.

Constitutional referendum

A single yes-or-no question on the eighth amendment to the constitution. If approved, presidential and parliamentary elections would be held concurrently from 2028, and the current parliament’s term would end on December 1, 2028 – about five months earlier than its scheduled dissolution in May 2029. If rejected, the amendment is void.

A voter on a small island will cast seven individual votes across the three ballot papers. A voter on a larger island will cast 11. A city ward voter will cast five.

The 33 percent gender quota reserves a third of all elected council seats for women. Every councillor elected on Saturday will also be subject to the Anti-Defection Law and a parallel provision in the Decentralisation Act. Voluntarily leaving the party under whose ticket they were elected will trigger automatic loss of their seat and a by-election. (Maldives Independent)

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