About 120,000 voters are heading to the polls on Election Day today with the ruling HRPP taking a 5-seat lead from the final pre-polling totals.
By the close of pre-polling last night, Thursday 8th April 2021, the HRPP was ahead by 25-seats followed by FAST with 20-seats.
Tautua Samoa 1-seat, Independent 1-seat with 1- seat tied, to bring the overall total to 48-seats.
Three of the seats in the 51-member Parliament are returned unopposed.
Five Cabinet Ministers are leading their respective electorates from the pre-polling; Tapunu’u Niko Lee Hang, Loau Keneti Sio, Faimalotoa Kika Stowers Ah Kau, Sala Pinati and Lautafi Selafi.
Minister of Agriculture, Lopao’o Natanielu Mua is tied in the lead with a rival candidate.
Minister of Finance Sili Epa, Minister of Revenue Tialavea John Hunt and Minister of Communications Afamasaga Rico are in a struggle to catch up to their respective poll leaders.
There are 13 current sitting members, not including Cabinet Ministers, who are currently leading their respective electorates going into today’s polling.
HRPP candidates made up 11 of the members with 2 from FAST.
Altogether 19 of the candidates leading in pre-polling results are current sitting members while the contest for 29 seats that makes up the balance are being led by newcomers.
Five of the seats were held by MPs from the last Parliament who did not seek re-election either through retirement or eligibility issues.
Health Minister Faimalotoa Kika Stowers-Ah-Kau is one of the 5-women who topped the poll in their electorates from the pre-polling.
Three of the women candidates are running for FAST with 2 others standing for the HRPP.
Pre-polling votes count for just over 6 per cent of the overall voters of just under 129,000 from the national population of 200,000.
