The Fijian Elections Office is currently carrying out its voter registration drive overseas for Fijian nationals living abroad.

Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem says the annual drive has been hindered by a number of prospective voters without valid Fijian passports.

According to the National Registration of Voter Statistics compiled at the end of May, overseas voters accounted for 7490 Fijians of which there are 3369 females and 4121 males.

“We’re not getting many people abroad who are registering particularly because they don’t have valid passports, the numbers are not very encouraging but it is a right that they have and we do an annual drive anyway so this is part of the 2018 drive we’ll do. I think we’re going to Europe next.”

Meanwhile, the date of the general election is expected to be announced by October of this year.

The Supervisor adding the Elections Office is on standby mode and are ready to head to the polls once the writ is announced.