With political parties now receiving confirmation of their nominated candidates for the November 14th General Election, the next big thing on the Calendar is the Candidates Ball Draw.

All the two hundred and thirty-five candidates will know their numbers today, following the Ball Draw by the Fijian Elections Office in Suva.

The Ball Draw today will decide which candidate gets which number on the ballot paper.

The numbers will be drawn randomly by a blindfolded person just like the 2014 Election and it will be live on FBC TV from 10am.

All the numbers will be placed in a transparent barrel and be spun around to mix them up before being picked.

There are two hundred and thirty-five candidates therefore the numbers will run from 508 to 743, meaning the numbers on the ballot paper will also start from 508 and end at 743.

The voter instruction booklet will have all the names, numbers and photos of candidates which you can refer to while casting your vote during a pre-poll or on Election Day.

Once the numbers are decided the candidates can then ramp up their campaign using these numbers.

It will also set the platform for all advertising as well.

The total number of candidates contesting this year’s election is slightly lower than 2014.

In 2014, there was a total of two hundred and forty-eight candidates while this year there are a total of two hundred and thirty-five candidates – thirteen less compared to the last Election.

Another difference in this Election – no independent candidates.

The FEO received zero applications by the time the nominations period closed.