Campaigning for the 2022 general election in Fiji is underway, with more than 600,000 registered voters set to cast their ballots next month.
However, a Facebook user claimed that postal voting application forms could not be downloaded online.
This is incorrect. Applications for postal voting opened on October 30 and ended at 5pm on November 23. During this period, forms were able to be downloaded online from the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) website or picked up in person.
The claim was made in a post (archived here) shared on November 19.
“Postal voting applications cannot be downloaded online. This is corruption number one by supervisor of elections,” it said.
An instructional video shared by the FEO on Facebook explained that application forms could be collected in person from an FEO office or downloaded online. Once the details were filled in, the form could be returned to any office or uploaded to the FEO website along with a copy of the person’s voter identification card.
AAP FactCheck followed the provided steps and was able to download the forms.
Postal voting is eligible for registered Fijian voters who are living overseas, are in pre-trial detention or prison, and those who cannot visit a polling station on election day due to illness, religious beliefs or work commitments.
In a statement to AAP FactCheck, a spokesman for the FEO confirmed that the postal vote application form could be downloaded online.
“The form was always available on our website, without any issues. Voters who were using a laptop or PC to download the form would not have had an issue.
“On a mobile device, if the user had not enabled certain download permissions, they would have had difficulty downloading the form on their chosen browser.
“We had also shared a Google drive link to the form on FB (Facebook) so people could easily download it.”
He said more than 8,000 postal vote applications were received for the 2022 election, which will be held on December 14.
The Verdict
The claim that postal vote application forms for Fiji’s 2022 election could not be downloaded online is false. Application forms were accessible both in person and online via the Fijian Elections Office website from October 30 until November 23.
AAP FactCheck was able to download the forms by following the provided steps.
False – The claim is inaccurate.
* AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
All information, text and images included on the AAP Websites is for personal use only and may not be re-written, copied, re-sold or re-distributed, framed, linked, shared onto social media or otherwise used whether for compensation of any kind or not, unless you have the prior written permission of AAP. For more information, please refer to our standard terms and conditions.
