22 Feb 2018

Samoa electronic voting plan welcomed by locals

3:39 pm on 22 February 2018

Samoa's plan to introduce electronic voting at the next election is being welcomed by many locals as it will fast track results.

Polling station at Malifa school

People queue to cast their vote at a polling station in Samoa's 2016 election Photo: RNZI/Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia

A voter's fingerprint will be scanned and registered digitally, with the information to accompany the voter's choice of candidate on polling day.

RNZ Pacific correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia said in the past votes from rural areas like the island of Savaii had to be delivered by ferry to Upolu.

He said the new system would solve major delays on polling day.

"So you know it is a very long process but once we have an electronic system and we close the polling booths in Savaii they just transfer the results electronically and we will have it back here in the main office."

The new electronic voting system is coming from South Korea at a cost of $US2.28 million.

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