Registration to vote is only the first step, Fijians overseas told

Fijians living overseas are being reminded that registering to vote will not automatically secure them a postal ballot for Fiji’s next general election.

Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwas says one of biggest misunderstandings among overseas voters is believing they will automatically receive voting papers once they leave Fiji.

“One of the common mistakes that we have identified is the assumption that once you leave overseas, you automatically get a postal ballot,” she told PMN Fiji.

“I'm urging our Fijians if you want to vote, you need to be registered first and second, once the election date is announced, you'll have to apply for a postal ballot.”

She says overseas voters who moved abroad after the 2022 election should also make sure their residential address has been updated with the Fiji Elections Office (FEO).

If their voter card still lists a Fiji address, they will be assigned to vote at a polling station in Fiji instead of receiving a postal ballot.

“We assign our Fijians according to the address that's on the voter card,” Mataiciwa says.

“So, if you're living abroad and your address still reflects your Fiji address, then you will be assigned to a polling venue in Fiji. The only way you can make sure that you receive a postal ballot is to update your address.”

Address updates can be completed remotely by emailing the FEO. Only first-time voters need to attend in person so their biometric information can be recorded.

Fiji's Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa. Photo/Fijian Elections Office

Mataiciwa is also urging overseas Fijians not to leave their applications until the last minute.

“You know, we are so laid back, no matter the amount of information we push to our Fijians, we all have that mindset of, "Oh, I'll do it at the last minute," she says.

“But remember that that luxury is only available to those locally, because the writ could be issued and we don't have a team abroad, so you would miss out on the registration.”

She says the FEO is also looking at ways to help voters living in remote areas overseas where postal or courier services are limited.

“We have identified and we are working towards areas where we could literally bring the application form to make it easy for our Fijians to complete and we bring it back to process, and we bring the postal ballots to them,” she says.

“But this is basically in cases where the postal courier is unreachable.”

Voter registration in Palmerston North last month. Photo/Fijian Elections Office

The FEO is also carrying out data cleaning ahead of the election, checking voter records against information from the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry and Immigration to keep the National Register of Voters up to date. The latest figures show Fiji has 707,982 registered voters.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Government has donated digital equipment to support Fiji’s election preparations.

Mataiciwa welcomed the support, saying it would strengthen voter education, public communication and community engagement ahead of polling.

“Having the right tools is just as important as having the right people,” she says.

“This investment strengthens our ability to engage with communities, produce high-quality voter awareness and educational content, communicate timely and accurate election information, and deliver professional, accessible, and trusted electoral services.”

The New Zealand High Commission’s Chargé d’Affaires Sam Cox says the equipment will help FEO strengthen voter awareness and support the delivery of Fiji’s next general election.

Watch Fiji's Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa's interview here.

Fiji is yet to announce the official date of when voters go to the poll but it must be held between 7 August 2026 and 6 February 2027.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is responsible for announcing the official date upon advising the President to issue the writ of elections.

Voters can access all necessary information on the official FEO website: https://www.feo.org.fj/