Turnout at 26% halfway into voting in Hithadhoo by-election

Voter turnout was at 26 percent at Saturday noon, halfway into polling in the North Hithadhoo parliamentary by-election.

The North Hithadhoo seat was previously filled by Mohamed Sinan (Sina), a politician from the ruling People's National Congress (PNC), who lost it on April 12, after losing a Supreme Court case filed over a declared debt.

The vacant seat is being contested by former Addu City councilman Ahmed Saeed (Soda) from the PNC and former Addu City mayor Abdulla Sodiq (Sobe) from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Total 4,121 people are eligible to vote in the election, including 2,073 women and 2,048 men.

According to Elections Commission (EC), 1,080 voters – 529 women and 551 men – cast their ballots by 12:00 pm.

This makes for a voter turnout of 26.21 percent at the midway point into voting.

 3,041 people – nearly 74 percent of eligible voters – have yet to cast their ballot.

The EC has installed seven ballot boxes for the vote; five at the Hithadhoo School in Addu City and two at the Dharumavantha School in Male’ City.

Sodiq secured the MDP ticket after running uncontested in the party’s primary, while Saeed had lost the PNC primary to Sinan, but got the ticket after the former lawmaker decided to bow out of the election.