The final count for Faleata 1 was still underway on Tuesday afternoon, more than 24 hours after it began, due to errors discovered during the process.

A scrutineer confirmed that the delay was caused by a voter who had cast both a special and an ordinary ballot, an issue only uncovered during the final count. Faleata 1 has more than 5,000 votes cast from over 7,000 registered voters.

The scrutineer described the situation as “frustrating,” noting there were 23 special votes included in the constituency’s tally. “It’s just so unbelievable to witness these kinds of mistakes during this general election,” she said.

Electoral Commissioner Tuiafelolo John Stanley acknowledged the mistakes, attributing them to lapses by electoral officers at polling booths. “There are lots of human errors during the general election,” he said, adding the Office of the Electoral Commission will review ways to avoid such errors in the future.

According to the OEC, more than 60 informal votes and over 20 dual votes have been recorded so far from the 12 constituencies where final counts have been completed.