VOTERS in New Caledonia turned out in slightly higher numbers for the first round of municipal elections on Sunday.
According to official figures released after polls closed, a total of 123,725 citizens cast their ballots, representing a turnout of 56.08 per cent of the 220,624 registered voters.
This marks an increase from the first round of the 2020 municipal elections, which recorded a turnout of 52.87 per cent. However, officials noted that the 2020 vote was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Tropical Depression Gretel, which prevented many from traveling to polling stations. The current figure, while an improvement on the last election, remains below the 60.87 per cent turnout seen in the first round of the 2014 elections.
The election saw a stark contrast in engagement between the interior and the capital. The highest participation was recorded in the small commune of Farino, where an impressive 82.04 per cent of registered voters—571 out of 696—made their way to the polls.
Conversely, the lowest turnout was concentrated in the urban areas of the Greater Nouméa region. The capital city itself recorded a participation rate of just 48.75 per cent, with 33,383 voters from a pool of 68,483 registered residents. While this is an improvement from the 42.05 per cent turnout in Nouméa in 2020, it represents quite a drop from the 60.87 per cent recorded in the first polls of 2014.
The first round allows voters to choose their municipal councils, with a second round scheduled for those communes where no candidate secured an absolute majority.