The Electoral Commissioner, Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio, has thanked the voters of Samoa who cast their ballots on Friday’s national elections. 

In a media statement posted to the Office of the Electoral Commissioner's (O.E.C.) social media pages on Saturday morning, Faimalomatumua singled out the voters of Samoa for commendation. 

“As we continue to count the votes today, I'd like to extend my deepest gratitude to all the voters who made the effort to vote in our General Election,” the Commissioner said.

He said that Friday’s was a historic election on many fronts, the most notable of which was having the will of Samoa’s voters heard through their vote.

“Thank you Samoa for responding and fulfilling your democratic role,” he said.

Throughout the election week, Savai'i remains peaceful despite the traffic jam, the crowded ferry rides to the big island, and overbooked hotels.

The Samoa Observer visited Falelatai on early Friday morning to find a peaceful and well-organised election process.

Village matai, who sat near the church building and kept an eye on the proceedings, emphasised that everything was fine on their side of the island.

Faimalomatumua stressed that the commission’s work was ongoing and final results are still to be determined. 

The Commissioner also took the opportunity to thank all of the O.E.C.’s volunteers at every step of the voting process who made Friday a success.

“From polling booth officials to support staff, to drivers and our social media team,” he said.  

“This was a monumental feat and [the] O.E.C. would not have been able to do it without the volunteer spirit of all those who took part.”

He also acknowledged the Police Force, members of the media, and election observers for the respective roles they played in ensuring that the election ran smoothly. 

“This was a peaceful election and I'm proud of my team for their commitment throughout the week,” he said.

“I'm thankful to our people and the respective council of Chiefs for maintaining the peace in villages during the voting process.

“Yesterday was a proud day for democracy in Samoa. Stay tuned for our final results.”