President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has officially endorsed the implementation of a preferential voting system for presidential elections, signalling a major shift in the country’s electoral framework. The President announced his support via his newly launched WhatsApp channel, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to electoral reform and direct public engagement.
In his message, President Muizzu described preferential voting as the system he supports for future elections. The proposed model would enable voters to rank candidates in order of preference, thereby allowing a winner to be determined in a single round of voting. This marks a significant departure from the current system, which requires a candidate to receive more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round to avoid a runoff. Since the Maldives adopted the presidential system, every presidential election has proceeded to a second round due to the absence of a first-round majority.
The initiative has received public backing from former President Mohamed Nasheed, who endorsed the proposal in a statement shared on social media.
Preferential voting systems are already in use in several established democracies, including the United States and the United Kingdom. These systems offer voters the option to rank multiple candidates, promoting broader representation and more decisive outcomes without the cost and delay of a second round.
The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has previously highlighted the considerable financial burden associated with conducting two rounds of presidential elections. In light of this, President Muizzu has also proposed synchronising presidential and parliamentary elections to enhance resource efficiency and improve governance continuity.
President Muizzu’s endorsement of the preferential voting model reflects his broader agenda for democratic reform and governance optimisation, aimed at strengthening the Maldives’ electoral processes for the future.