THE Electoral Commission has confirmed that the number of voters assigned to each polling station for the upcoming general election will be capped at 650, following a detailed assessment of voting efficiency and past election data.
In a decision dated April 20, chairperson Justice Usaia Ratuvili said the commission reached the resolution after considering recommendations from the Fijian Elections Office (FEO).
Justice Ratuvili explained that the decision was based on practical voting time calculations and operational capacity at polling stations.
“The minimum time taken for each voter of average literacy to vote is two minutes. Polling starts at 7.30am and closes at 6pm, giving close to 10.5 hours or approximately 630 minutes of voting time,” he stated.
“With four voting screens inside a polling station, the ideal capacity is (630/2) multiplied by four screens, equating to 1260 voters.”
Despite this theoretical capacity, the commission opted for a more conservative approach, taking into account real-world voting patterns and logistical considerations.
“The FEO has implemented a rigorous counting process to ensure that once the presiding officer signs off on the Protocol of Results, those results can withstand scrutiny,” Justice Ratuvili said.
He added that historical data from previous elections also guided the decision.
“With voter turnouts of 72.8 per cent in the 2018 General Election and 68.3 per cent in the 2022 General Election, the majority of counts conducted at polling stations were completed within four hours,” he noted.
The commission also considered voting behaviour trends, particularly peak voting periods.
“In the last three general elections, about 80 per cent of voters cast their ballots during peak hours — either in the morning when polling opened or in the afternoon just before polling closed,” he said.
“Moreover, polling officials did not encounter problems with crowd management, with lines remaining fairly moderate during peak times.”
Justice Ratuvili said the final decision aligns with existing legal provisions.
“Therefore, in accordance with Section 39(2) of the Electoral Act 2014, the Electoral Commission approves that the total number of voters that can be assigned to a polling station for the upcoming general election remains 650.”
