Special votes cast by election officials working while the election was being conducted were allocated to their respective constituency ballot boxes on Saturday afternoon in a process witnessed by over 80 scruitineers. 

The distribution of the special votes to more than 300 ballot boxes was held at the Office of Electoral Commission (O.E.C.) operations centre at Tuanaimato. 

The distribution of the special votes comes after the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) party clawed its way to a tie with the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.). Each party had claimed 25 constituencies based on preliminary figures. 

The new political landscape reflected the division between the country's two parties with FA.S.T. dominating ballot boxes in Savai'i and the  H.R.P.P. in Upolu in this year's election.

At 3 pm on Saturday, O.E.C. staff and Police Officers opened the special votes and distributed them to their respective constituencies. 

The Assistant Electoral Commissioner, Lefau Francis Ainu'u, told the Samoa Observer on Thursday that the special votes were ballots that were cast by electoral officials including Police Officers involved in the election process. 

O.E.C. Communications Officer, Vaasiliega Iupati Laga’aia, explained that special votes were distributed to their correct constituencies. 

“These ballots were casted in the different constituencies and those that voted using these special votes are those that worked during the general elections," he said.

He explained that many people are questioning the rationale for the special votes process which is why the O.E.C. offered a clarification. 

“As indicated before, if I am an election official working at the polling booth in Safata, I vote there but my ballot will be assigned and allocated where I am registered voter and be counted in that respective constituency," he said. 

Vaasiliega said the process is the same for registered voters admitted at national and district hospitals as well as hospital staff who were on duty during the general election. 

“Here is another example, if you are a registered voter for Faasaleleaga but you’re currently being admitted into the Motootua Hospital, your ballot here, will be transferred to the Faasaleleaga district.

"And it takes time to open the ballots and display it to ensure the integrity of the voting process is intact."

He noted the process was overseen by several dozens of scrutineers. 

But the numbers dropped significantly by 9 pm with the special votes processing still underway.

“As indicated before it is unclear how many special votes were cast until this process is completed," said Vaasiliega. 

“And this is conducted before secretaries of the candidates and on Monday will be the official count for the general election for official results."