Voters given five days to re‑register as referendum on merging presidential and parliamentary elections is held with council polls

The Elections Commission (EC) has opened a five‑day window for eligible voters to re‑register for the upcoming local council elections, which will also include a public vote on whether to merge the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Re‑registration will be open from Wednesday to Sunday, between 10:00am and 3:00pm, according to the EC.

The local council elections are scheduled for 4 April, with voting to take place from 8:00am to 4:00pm. The plebiscite on merging the two national elections will be held on the same day.

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— Elections Commission (@ElectionsMv) February 17, 2026

The constitutional amendment proposing the merger was submitted last month by PNC parliamentary group leader and Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah. The amendment requires that future presidential and parliamentary elections be held simultaneously. It also proposes shifting the start date of future parliamentary terms to 1 December, beginning with the parliament elected after the 20th term.

The amendment was passed without changes by the Independent Institutions Committee on Monday, and approved by Parliament the following day with the vote of Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla.

Following the parliamentary vote, the President decided on Tuesday to hold the public referendum on the merger alongside the council elections.