Apia, SAMOA — Pre-polling for Samoa’s 2025 general elections officially began yesterday (Samoa Time), Wednesday, 27 August, just two days ahead of the main polling day on Friday, 29 August.

According to Electoral Commissioner Toleafoa Tuiafelolo John Stanley, over 5,000 applications were submitted for early voting. However, only a little over 1,000 individuals met the eligibility criteria.

Pre-polling is available to government workers in essential services, individuals traveling in the week leading up to election day, and persons with disabilities.

Samoa will be heading to the polls to vote for a total of 187 candidates who are contesting 50 of the country’s 51 parliamentary seats.

The exception is the Faleata 2 constituency, where caretaker Minister of Public Enterprises Leatinu’u Faumuina Wayne Fong, running under the banner of the newly established Samoa Uniting Party (SUP), has secured an uncontested return to Parliament. His unopposed path follows an Election Court ruling that disqualified both of his challengers.

HRPP candidate Ulugia Elon Betham and FAST Party candidate Muaaufaalele Mary Taeu were deemed ineligible to run in the upcoming general elections, with the Court upholding Leatinu’u’s objections to their qualifications.

This means that voters in only 30 electoral districts across Upolu and 20 in Savai’i will be casting their ballots to elect representatives to the 18th Parliament. This includes 51 directly elected seats and potentially up to 6 additional seats for women MPs under Samoa’s gender equity provisions.

Across Samoa’s 50 constituencies, a total of 401 polling booths have been established to accommodate the nation’s 101,981 registered voters.

To ease congestion and ensure a smooth voting process, the Electoral Office has allocated at least five to six polling booths for larger constituencies. The move aims to minimize long queues during the six-hour voting window, which runs from 9:00am to 3:00pm.

Samoa’s 2025 general election is a political showdown with three major contenders vying for control of Parliament.

1. FAST (Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi)

Under the leadership of Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt, FAST has held power since 2021. However, the party faced internal fractures following a series of disputes that have splintered its once-unified front.

Its platform highlights include free public hospital services, monthly allowances for pregnant women and young children, cash top-ups for families earning under $20,000,

retirement age raised from 55 to 65, $1.5 billion carbon credit market, a national stock exchange, and $300 million injection into reviving Samoa Airways.

2. SUP (Samoa Uniting Party)

The Samoa United Party (SUP) was established earlier this year by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata‘afa following a split from FAST. The party brings together 14 former Cabinet ministers under its banner.

The key highlights of its Manifesto include free education from early childhood through tertiary levels, raising the retirement age to 60, electoral reforms, disability allowances, and pension increases, maintaining the district grant programme (ranging from 1–2 million tālā per district), reducing VAT, eliminating electricity tax, and offering a 20% tax refund to citizens if SUP forms government, and returning village lands seized during German colonial rule to customary ownership.

3. HRPP (Human Rights Protection Party)

Led by Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, who held office as Prime Minister of Samoa from 23 November 1998 to 24 May 2021, HRPP was the dominant force in Samoan politics for over four decades until its 2021 defeat.

Its platform highlights include $500 annual cash grant per family member, tax cuts, and disability benefit enhancements, new bridge between Upolu and Savai’i, $1,000 birth payment + $1,000 vaccination completion bonus, and VAGST (VAT) exemptions on essential food items.

Leading the field in candidate numbers are the two major parties: FAST with 59 and HRPP with 50. They are followed by the Samoa Uniting Party (SUP), which has nominated 26 candidates, and the Samoa Labour Party with six. Notably, this election marks a record high for Independent candidates, with 43 individuals contesting seats outside party lines.

Smaller parties, including the Constitution Democratic Republican Party (CDRP) and the Tumua ma Pule Republican Reform Party (TMRRP), are each fielding a single candidate.

Electoral Commissioner Toleafoa Tuiafelolo John Stanley remarked that this election has drawn heightened attention both at home and abroad, reflecting a growing interest in Samoa’s political landscape from local communities, the diaspora, and international observers alike.

This week, a significant influx of Samoans from overseas has arrived to cast their votes and rally behind their preferred political parties. Many had arranged their travel months in advance, covering their own expenses to ensure they could complete voter registration in Apia as required.

Their presence, from Australia, the United States, New Zealand, and American Samoa, affirms a deep commitment to shaping the future of Samoa, reflecting the diaspora’s enduring connection and desire to have a voice in the election of the next government.

Election campaigning ceased at 12am on Sunday, August 24, 2025, as stipulated by  Samoa’s Electoral Act 2019, specifically Section 43, which governs the “prohibited period” for election campaigning.

This includes removal of all campaign signs, cessation of social media promotion, and no public campaigning of any kind. The purpose is to ensure a fair and neutral environment in the final days before voting.

Section 44 outlines penalties for violations: candidates who breach this rule may face a fine of up to five penalty units, imprisonment up to 12 months, or both.

This marks a stark contrast with elections in American Samoa, where campaign signage from the 2020 and 2024 general elections—particularly for gubernatorial and House of Representatives candidates—can still be seen scattered throughout communities, long after the polls closed.

To support voter participation and ease travel logistics, the government has declared two public holidays, Thursday (today) and Friday, allowing citizens time to prepare, journey to Savai’i and outlying villages, and avoid the last-minute rush that marked the 2021 elections. The adjustment will also give government staff overseeing polling stations time to reach their assigned areas.