Time and tide wait for no man. As clichéd as this idiom is, there are people out there who still do not understand the need to act on things at the earliest possible moment. This is what has happened to those who were unable to register to vote.

For more than six months, the Office of the Electoral Commission has been working to register people. The OEC has opened on Saturdays from 15 March. Some came forward and registered, while many waited, thinking that the election would be next year. Then came the announcement of the snap election. At the beginning of June, only 52 per cent had registered, but there was ample time for those who did not to get on the electoral roll. Time was given to voters to come and register, and if people waited for the last minute, it was always going to be a gamble to beat the clock.

So, if you have been unable to register, please do not blame the Office of the Electoral Commission. Enough time was given, and there were consultations held as well. If you choose to come at 3.59 pm when closing time is 4 pm, then the OEC is not to be blamed. There were notices, and the news media carried all of this information. If you are facing a $2,000 fine for not registering, please do not blame the OEC or its staff.

On the contrary, the staff of the OEC should be commended. For the last month, many have made sacrifices to get as many people as possible to get registered. They have come to work before time so they could be there when the door opens for registration. They have been there when the last person walks out. They did not do this for personal gain but to ensure that everyone who has the right to vote gets that right accorded to them. Yet people took these sacrifices for granted and expected the OEC to bend over backwards to cater for their laziness. It is laughable how people do not blame themselves but choose to blame others, who, if anything, have been the hardest working bunch of late.

In an election, the most important thing is to follow the law, the instructions and all the policies that would lead to a free and fair election. The OEC, knowing that the election was in April 2026, started their registration process, moving on from the 2021 electoral roll. The Electoral Commissioner tried very hard to get everyone on board, to the extent, registration was taken down to villages and weekly trips were made to Savaii. The moral of this story is that stop leaving things to the last minute. As this experience has shown, it will not always go your way.

The result of the snap election is the shortened time frame for the OEC to get things done. Therefore, the time frame and the dates given by the OEC are not just gibberish scribbled across a wall; they are important points in the lead-up to the election. The electoral timetable is not a joke. The time that has been set has to be complied with.

Next up is the nomination of candidates. This will take place from 7 July to 12 July. As you can imagine, if candidates are unable to register by 4 pm on 12 July, then they will be unable to contest the election. The same as the voters who thought the OEC’s timeline does not apply.

We are in an extraordinary situation. Time is of the essence. Respect the timeline, the laws and everyone will contribute to free and fair elections.