Today's Edition
HUDA AL TANIJI (ABU DHABI) - The primary voting process for the Federal National Council 2023 elections will kick off tomorrow, October 7, in various emirates of the country, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with preliminary results to be announced following the end of the designated voting period.
Today, October 6, has been designated for remote voting by the National Elections Committee. Voting is available via the committee's designated smart application and through its official website. The hybrid voting process will resume tomorrow, on the primary Election Day, with 24 polling centres distributed across all emirates for those wishing to cast their votes in person. UAE voters based anywhere in the world can cast their votes remotely via the Sharek for the Emirates smart application, or through the National Elections Committee website.
Voting via Smart App
To vote via the smart application, voters must first access the Sharek for the Emirates app, then log in using their digital IDs through the digital identity application. The voter's face is then scanned using their mobile phone to confirm their identity. Afterwards, the voter can choose the candidate either by selecting from a list of names, numbers, and pictures of the candidates, or by searching for the candidate by entering the candidate's official number.
In the case that a voter doesn't want to vote for any candidate, the digital voting platform has an option titled "I don't want to vote for anyone". After selecting a candidate, the voter's choice can be reviewed on a screen displaying the chosen candidate which will appear after selection. After verifying their choice, the voter must select "confirm vote" to finalise the process. If the voter wishes to change the vote, they can return to the candidates' page and change their choice.
Voting via Website
Voters must first access the official election website at www.uaenec.ae. After accessing the site, when the voting page appears, an voters must log in using the Digital Identity application and confirm their identity through a facial image scan on their mobile phone. Then, from the displayed list, the voter can choose the candidate either through the detailed list of names, numbers, and pictures of the candidates, or by searching for the candidate by typing the candidate's official number into the search box.
If a voter does not wish to select a candidate, they must choose "I do not wish to vote for anyone." After selecting a candidate, the voter can review their choice and proceed with the voting process by pressing the confirmation button. A screen will then display the selected candidate, and once the choice is verified, voters can finalise their choice by pressing the "Confirm Vote" button. If voters wish to change their choice, they can return to the candidates' page and choose another candidate.
After Voting Concludes
The National Election Committee has designated October 8 as the date for each candidate to challenge the voting and sorting process by using the approved form at the Committee headquarters in their respective emirate within the period specified by the National Election Committee, and according to the conditions set for appeals.
On October 13, the National Committee will determine the outcome of all appeals considering legal opinion reports from the Appeals Committee. The Committee's decisions are final and binding, and no further appeals can be made. On the same day, if there are no supplementary elections, the National Election Committee will announce the official election results and approve the final list of winning candidates. The Committee will then embark on the necessary steps to complete the winners' membership in the Federal National Council.
In the Case of a Supplementary Election
In the case that the Committee determines a supplementary election is necessary, the election will be held October 14 through remote voting only. Supplementary elections can happen in the following two cases: if the candidates who received the highest number of votes receive equal votes and there are more of them than the number of candidates required to be elected in their emirate, or if some candidates win, and those following them tie in votes and exceed the number of remaining vacant seats allocated to the emirate. In the case that during a supplementary election, the candidates receive an equal number of votes, a draw will be conducted by the Chairman of the Central Sorting Committee to fill the seats allocated for each emirate and to determine the reserve list.
On October 15, every candidate has the right to challenge the results of the voting and sorting process in the supplementary election by using the approved form during the period determined by the National Election Committee, and according to the conditions set for the appeals.
On October 20, the National Committee would rule on all appeals made regarding the supplementary election considering legal opinion reports from the Appeals Committee. The results of the Committee's decisions are final and cannot be challenged in any way. On the same date, the National Election Committee will announce the final results of the supplementary election and approve the final list of winning candidates, after which it will take the necessary measures to complete the Federal National Council membership process for the winning candidate.
