Rwanda Decides: Polls close in Korea, Cambodia, New Zealand, Australia
Sunday, July 14, 2024
Rwandans in South Korea before casting their votes during the presidential and parliamentary elections

Diaspora-based Rwandans in a number of Asian and Pacific countries have successfully concluded the electoral process, as many of their counterparts in other time zones continue to vote.

In countries including South Korea, Cambodia, New Zealand and Australia, the polls were done before midday Kigali time, owing to the fact that the time zone of such countries is many hours in front of Central African time.

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"Closure of the voting site on this important Election Day for Rwandans in South Korea as the last voters from Gwangju city casted their votes at 6PM local time, electing their Leaders during the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections successfully held in Seoul,” read a post shared by the Rwandan embassy in South Korea on X, a few minutes to mid-day.

Winnie Mbabazi, a Rwandan based in New Zealand casts her vote on Sunday, July 14. Mbabazi was the first voter in the 2024 polls in New Zealand . Courtesy

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According to the National Electoral Commission (NEC), polling stations have to be closed by 5PM.

NEC established a total of 160 polling stations in various countries across different continents to allow Rwandans in the diaspora to exercise their civic duties.

A number of countries had multiple polling stations set up. There are 17 polling stations in the USA, while in Australia, Rwandans can vote in four different cities - Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane.