Govt approves four law proposals to modernise electoral system
DÍLI, 22 October 2026 (TATOLI) — The Government has approved four draft Law Proposals to amend electoral legislation and the electoral register, update and harmonise electoral procedures, modernise the voter registration system, and facilitate the exercise of the right to vote.
The draft bills were presented by the Minister of State Administration Tomás do Rosário Cabral at the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday.
The approved proposals cover the second amendment to Law No. 22/2021 of November 4th, the Municipal Electoral Law; the second amendment to Law No. 6/2016 of May 25th, the Electoral Register Law; the sixth amendment to Law No. 6/2006 of December 28th, the Electoral Law for the National Parliament; and the seventh amendment to Law No. 7/2006 of December 28th, the Electoral Law for the Presidency of the Republic.
“The main measures proposed include improving access to the electoral process for people with disabilities, notably by introducing Braille ballot papers, supporting voters with mobility difficulties, and providing assisted voting, where provided for by law. The law also extends voting hours abroad for elections to the President of the Republic and the National Parliament until 8.00 pm, to facilitate the participation of Timorese citizens living in the diaspora,” said in a statement.
In the context of voter registration, the amendments aim to consolidate the digitisation of the system by establishing the use of electronic forms, recording biometric data, including the voter’s fingerprint and photograph, and introducing new security features on voter cards, namely a QR code.
“Provision is also made for the establishment of electoral registration committees in countries where Timor-Leste has no diplomatic representation, comprising two Timorese citizens of proven integrity residing in the respective country,” according to the statement.
The proposals also include updating the requirements for submitting candidacies, adjusting the number of certain electoral officials to match the number of registered voters at polling centres and polling stations, and other amendments to improve the organisation of electoral processes.
“In municipal elections, candidacies for President and Vice-President submitted by groups of citizens must continue to have the support of at least 5 per cent of registered voters in the respective municipality. They must now include at least 50 proposers from each sub-unit comprising that municipality,” the statement added.
These amendments aim to modernise and harmonise the electoral framework, make voting and voter registration more accessible, and align the legislation with technological developments and the experience gained from conducting electoral processes in Timor-Leste.
TATOLI
