With a week left before Tongans head to the polls on Thursday November 16, there are 59,003 voters registered, after a supplementary electoral roll was published last week. This is 7556 more registered voters than for the last election in 2014.

The electoral roll published in September recorded 57,391 voters. Additional registrations come from the supplementary roll, which was opened until November 2, to allow new voters to register.

Supervisor of Elections Pita Vuki said today 51% of the voters (30,051) are women, while 49% men (28,952).

About 25% of the voters are the young people, between 21 to 30 years old (14,781).  Of this age group, there are more women (7537) than men (7244).

The largest share was in Tongatapu - 41,776 voters, followed by Vava’u - 8788 voters, Ha’apai - 4470, ‘Eua - 2831 and the two Niuas - 1138 voters.

Pita said 86 candidates are constesting 17 seats in parliament.

In the last 2014 General Election in 2014 a total of 51,447 voters registered 

Tongans head to the polls a year early, after King Tupou VI dissolved parliament in August, three years in the usual four-year term of government.