Polls open in Samoa’s 2025 general election

Polling closes at 3pm local time (2pm NZT). Photo / RNZ, Mark Papalii

By Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai of RNZ

Voting commenced in Samoa on Friday, with more than 100,000 eligible voters heading to the polls to decide the country’s next government.

A total of 187 candidates will contest 50 seats in Parliament, representing six political parties and 46 independents. The governing FAST Party leads the field with 58 candidates, followed closely by the HRPP with 50.

The caretaker Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa’s Samoa United Party has 26 candidates, while the Samoa Labour Party has five.

The Electoral Office says more than 400 polling stations have been set up, and some 1300 polling officials and around 500 police officers are on duty to maintain order.

On the eve of voting, the villages were calm, with councils gathering for evening prayers.

The RNZ Pacific team on the ground spoke to voters who cast their votes this morning.

Some expressed happiness at being able to exercise their right to vote, while others were quite patriotic.

One voter said they just wanted the election to be over.

Polling closes at 3pm local time (2pm NZT).

Meanwhile, the first seat has been declared after early voting ended on Wednesday.

The Office of the Electoral Commission announced Leatinuu Wayne So’oialo as the holder of the Faleata 2 seat.

This follows an earlier Supreme Court decision to disqualify the other nominated candidates because of ineligibility, meaning the electoral constituency of Faleata 2 is being marked as uncontested.

-RNZ