Over 4,000 voters registered for Tongatapu 1 By-Election [1]
Wednesday, November 20, 2019 - 19:07
With a week left before voters in Tongatapu 1 head to the polls for a parliamentary By-Election, 4,382 voters have registered, before the closing of the electoral roll.
This is only 126 more than those registered in the 2017 General Election.
The Tongatapu 1 By-Election on November 28, is to fill the seat of the late Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva, Prime Minister and Tongatapu no.1 People’s Representative, who died in September.
Contesting his seat is his son, Siaosi Vailahi Pohiva and one other candidate Dr Netatua Pelesikoti Taufatofua.
The Electoral Commission confirmed today that 52.2% of the registered voters (2288) are women, while 47.8% are men (2094).
The largest group comprises 27% of the voters in the age group 31-40 (1185), with more women (603) than men (582).
Young people between 21-30 years old (989) make up 23% of the voters with 504 women and 485 men.
Meanwhile, the largest share of registered voters across the 10 villages in this constituency, was Kolomotu’a with 1272, followed by Longolongo 721, Sopu 674, and Hala’ovave 564.
The registration for the By-Election closed on November 14, to allow time for printing the electoral roll before the by-election.
In the 2017 General Election, out of the 4,256 registered voters in Tongatapu 1, only 2,731 (64.17%) of voters turned out and voted.