Race against time: Budget loss forces snap poll

(L–R) Tuilae’pa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, La’auli Leuatea Schmidt

Samoa will head to the polls on August 29, and the Office of the Electoral Commissioner (OEC) must race against time to deliver a credible, inclusive election.

The Polynesian nation is at an interesting point, with the snap election called and only 60% of Samoans of voting age registered to vote. The registration process started last year as the OEC transitioned to a new electoral role management software.

This time, the registration process requires biometric scanning. The new electoral roll was 52% completed when the snap election was declared.

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