People line up to vote in Suva Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Kelvin Anthony
Early to vote
Fijians are turning up in numbers to cast their votes at polling stations across the country.
Long queues were sighted at various polling venues before voting began at 7.30am local time.
Eighty-five-year-old Jotame Raisele was the first to cast his vote at the Suva Grammar School polling venue.
Raisele said he got up at 6am to head to the polls.
Elsewhere in Suva, hundreds of voters lined up to vote at the John Wesley College polling station in Raiwaqa.
RNZ Pacific's team on the ground spoke to fifth-time voter Mereani Tuibua who said this election was different.
"The last one, this polling venue was empty and we could just walk in but today it seems like everyone turned up. People really care," said Tuibua.
Tuibua said she cast her vote today for the wellbeing of her children's future.
"The most important thing for us to vote is for our future, for our children, we woke up early this morning to be here. My husband is at home with the kids so I could come and vote, now I'll head back home and he will come and cast his vote," explained Tuibua.
Mr Jotame Rasele (left) was the first voter at Suva Grammar School this morning. 14 December 2022 Photo: FIJI ELECTIONS OFFICE
Women casting their votes in large numbers
Mothers and grandmothers have been out since sunrise to exercise their civic duty.
Timaima Vulimailaucala told RNZ Pacific that today is the most important day for all Fijians.
"It is an important processor as citizens to come forward and cast your vote because whichever government of the day gets elected is because of your effort to cast your vote and make it known that this is what you wanted.
"There's a long queue here, people are going away because of the queue but I would recommend or ask them to come back. This is the only day that you can make a change.
"If you want to change something, this is the only time you can do it. You can't sit back and expect something to change if you're not there to do it yourself," said Vulimailaucala.
Issues highlighted at polling stations
Some voters have said there is some confusion over where they are to queue up to cast their vote.
Yvonne Brecterfield told RNZ Pacific about 8.40am that information by the Fiji Elections Office staff at the polling stations was not clear.
"The issue here is they are giving the wrong information at the gate so people are lining up at the wrong line and the lines are moving slowly. Only when you get to the front of the line, then they tell you you need to be in another line," said Brecterfield.
"The labels are simply not clear and there is no one here to call out your name or tell you this is where you have to go. The instructions are not very clear."
Brecterfield said this issue would not stop her from casting her vote, "I made sure I voted even if I stayed there the whole day."
Responding to this issue, Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem said, "voters can text their voter card number and they will get the right information".
Saneem said at 9am local time that all polling stations in the country were now open and fully operational.
The Fiji Elections Office is providing free public transport to polling stations within each locality.
Saneem stressed this was not free transport to vote anywhere in the country.
"I would like to once again clarify that the free public transportation is for your own localities only we will not be facilitating transportation of voters from Navua to Suva from Nadi to Suva or from Suva to Nadi. That's not your locality, that is the entire island."
Polling will conclude at 6pm tonight.
