By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 15 January 2025 – The Electoral Commissioner, Toleafoa Tuiafelolo Johnny Stanley has confirmed that only 40% of the eligible voters for the 2026 general elections have registered so far. That is 117,225 eligible voters already registered including those who will turn 21 by April 2026.

“We need 80,000 more people that need to be registered,” said Toleafoa.

The closing date for registration is September 2025 and any eligible voter who has not registered by then will be fined $2000 and for those who do not vote, they face a fine of $100.

Mobile registration service
The OEC will continue its mobile registration service at the end of this month for the whole of Samoa. Four teams are allocated for this service and by July 2025, the office will analyse their latest statistics, inform the voters before the closing date on 30th September 2025.

On-line registration
Toleafoa said the majority of people that registered on-line are local employees who do not have time to wait at the OEC office for registration and a few from New Zealand and Australia.

He said despite being registered on-line, they still need to come to the office to take their photos and fingerprints.

He said the same applies for diaspora who registered on-line, they have to come into the office, have their photos and fingerprints taken, and cast their votes locally according to the current law.

He said people need to know and understand the importance of registration and casting their vote as it’s a way of identifying with their rights in any democratic country.

The registration for candidates who wish to compete in the 2026 general election opens in October 2025.

There were a lot of issues that popped up during the last general election which include the delay of posting election results.

Toleafoa has assured that the system they now have will address those issues and they are also looking at a back-up system.

One of the major weakness in the past system is interconnectivity and Toleafoa said the OEC is currently negotiating with the two mobile telephone companies Digicel and Vodafone to give them a good platform to avoid traffic jams during the day of the general election.

The new system was put into practice during the bi-elections after the 2021 general election petitions.

“This system allows the voters to cast their vote wherever they are and the results appear automatically on the OEC screen, compared to the past where results have to called from the polling booths,” he said.

To address connectivity traffic jams during the general elections, Toleafoa is looking at three options.

1. For both the mobile companies to allow a specific channel for OEC to use on the day of the general election to avoid traffic and delays.

2. To shut down facebook and allow only OEC to operate on it until the election is over and

3. To utilise satellites which Toleafoa said is more reliable than the current undersea cable, and if OEC is allowed any of the three options the flow of manning the general election will be quicker and smooth.

“We are looking at all these scenarios and who can offer such service,” he said.

He also confirmed the security of the systems that would be susceptible to hacks.

He is urging the public, especially those eligible to vote to register early to avoid unnecessary issues later on.