[Photo: File]
The Fijian Elections Office has admitted an internal process failure after a mock press release announcing the 2026 General Election was mistakenly circulated publicly.
The FEO says the release was part of a Writ to Return of Writ Dress Rehearsal being conducted ahead of the next General Election.
The exercise is designed to test and finalise procedures that will be used from the issuance of the Writ through to its return.
As part of the simulation, FEO staff created a mock press release containing fictitious information, including a fake election date.
However, the FEO says the required internal procedure for uploading test content was not followed, resulting in the material appearing on its website before it was circulated
by media organisations and on social media.
The Elections Office stresses that no Writ for the 2026 General Election has been issued, and the date contained in the mock release was entirely fictitious.
The FEO says the matter has been addressed internally, with safeguards being put in place to ensure test materials remain contained during the remainder of the rehearsal.
It says the incident demonstrates the purpose of the dress rehearsal — to identify gaps and strengthen safeguards before the actual election period.
The FEO has apologised for the confusion and assured electoral stakeholders and the public that the matter has been addressed.
