Blue and green system to guide voters as Fiji prepares for General and Local Government Elections

As Fiji prepares for a potentially intense electoral season, a new colour-coded system, blue for the General Election and green for the Local Government Elections, will guide voters through what Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa says is a well-planned and carefully coordinated process.

While Speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, Mataiciwa says the office is fully prepared to deliver both the General Election and Local Government Elections without compromising the integrity of either process, as Fiji heads into what could be one of its busiest electoral periods.

She says while the possibility of two major elections taking place within months of each other presents a significant logistical challenge, the office has been preparing for this moment over the past several years.

Mataiciwa says 2023 focused on rebuilding relationships with key stakeholders, while 2024 and 2025 centred on strengthening systems and empowering staff.

She says this year, the focus is on directly engaging with Fijians and preparing voters for the electoral process.

She says one of the major initiatives already underway is the recruitment of election officials across the country.

Applications are currently open for Fijians interested in working during both the General Election and Local Government Elections.

Mataiciwa says the recruitment drive closes on Saturday, and around 64 field trainers have already been trained nationwide to help prepare election officials.

She says assessments of polling venues are also being carried out across the country as part of preparations for both elections.

She also clarified that registration for the Local Government Elections is separate from the National Register of Voters because municipal voting is voluntary and comes with its own legal requirements.

Mataiciwa says to register for local government voting, a person must already be on the National Register of Voters, must have lived within a ward for at least three months, and must voluntarily choose to be part of the Local Register of Voters.

She says the office cannot automatically transfer voters from the national register to the municipal register, as doing so could place people into a voting system they may not wish to participate in.

Mataiciwa is urging Fijians to take advantage of the Voter Service Centres now open across all 13 municipalities, register early, and ensure they have the required identification documents ready.

Insert: Voter Cards 7th May 26

She adds that strict verification remains critical to protect the credibility of the voter roll and prevent duplicate registrations, impersonation, and other irregularities, as the office works to ensure every eligible Fijian is ready to vote when the time comes.