Fijian Elections Office Acting Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa

Concerns have been raised over the significant lack of participation among the youth demographic following the 2022 General Election.

Fijian Elections Office Acting Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa highlights that a notable portion of young voters failed to cast their ballots during the election.

Mataiciwa addressed this issue during today’s press briefing, shedding light on the percentage of eligible voters who did not participate in the election.

While the exact reasons behind this low turnout are still being investigated, one factor that has emerged is the failure of many young voters to update their residential addresses with the Fijian Elections Office.

She emphasized that polling station assignments are determined based on the residential addresses on record with the FEO.

A voter survey is in the pipeline, which aims to delve deeper into the reasons behind the notably lower voter turnout among Fiji’s youth population.

Analyzing the election results across different age groups, Mataiciwa reveals that the 51- to 60-year-old demographic exhibited the highest voter turnout, followed by the 41- to 50-year-old age group and the 61- to 70-year-old age group.

“In our strategic plan, you’ll see that we have put more emphasis on our voter education and civic education in preparation for the next election.”

Gender-wise, the data shows that the 2022 General Election saw 348,348 registered male voters, with 234,440 of them actually casting their votes.

For female voters, there were 345,567 registered, with a slightly higher turnout of 50.4% compared to male voters at 49.6%.

This suggests that more female voters exercised their right to vote on Election Day.

The Northern Division reported the highest voter turnout percentage, followed by the Eastern Division, the Western Division, and finally the Central Division, which had the lowest voter turnout.

Mataiciwa adds that the FEO is actively working to understand the underlying causes and encourage young citizens to engage in the democratic process by updating their voter information.

Further analysis through the upcoming voter survey is expected to provide valuable insights into these voting patterns.

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