The Office of the Electoral Commission is in the process of procuring an upgraded e-roll biometric system worth $1.129 million tala which can immediately verify and confirm voters. 

The budget allocation was recently approved in the 2023-2024 national budget for the Electoral Office and is a major expenditure from its total allocation of $4.2 million. 

Electoral Commissioner, Tuiafelolo John Stanley said the office had plans to have a mass registration last month by using the biometric system. 

But due to the procurement process of acquiring the equipment for fingerprints and photos which has not been finalised, those plans have been pushed back until January next year. 

“We have almost completed tendering process,” said Tuiafelolo noting the equipment should arrive in November this year. 

He said the old system is obsolete and the upgraded system is needed to replace it. 

The Electoral Commissioner confirmed the office is fortunate to have qualified staff that have background in programming and information system to assist in the transition. 

In 2018, the Electoral Office announced the use of a new electronic system which was had biometric features and designed for a more effective system for voters to vote and for counting of votes electronically. 

The system was funded by a grant from the World Electoral Association in South Korea and costs $5.8 million tala in total.

At the time, the Electoral Commissioner said the electronic system will alleviate the long voter queues to cast their ballots as witnessed in elections. 

It was also designed to collect voters fingerprints and have it registered digitally.

But in the 2021 General Election voters were still lining up in queues and still had their nails painted as a sign they had voted instead of the biometric system.