Nominations have opened for candidates seeking to fill the vacant Tongatapu 2 and Niua 17 seats in the Legislative Assembly ahead of by-elections scheduled for 8 October.

The Tonga Electoral Commission said nominations will be accepted on Wednesday 2 September and Thursday 3 September between 10am and 3pm.

Candidates for Tongatapu 2 must lodge their nominations at the Electoral Commission office in Nuku‘alofa, while nominations for Niua 17 will be received at the offices of the Government Representatives in Niuatoputapu and Niuafo‘ou.

Each candidate must be nominated and supported by at least 50 registered voters from their constituency.

The two seats became vacant following court proceedings arising from the 2025 general election.

Former Tongatapu 2 People’s Representative Semisi Sika lost his seat after the Court of Appeal upheld a ruling declaring his election void over breaches of electoral expense rules. The case did not involve a finding of bribery.

Former Niua 17 People’s Representative Lata‘ifaingata‘a Tangimana was unseated after the courts upheld findings of electoral bribery connected to the distribution of fish to voters before the election.

Parliament formally recorded the vacancies in August, with both former MPs disqualified from contesting elections for five years.

The by-elections will give voters in the two constituencies the opportunity to choose new representatives less than a year after the November 2025 general election.

The Electoral Commission has scheduled polling for Thursday 8 October, with the nomination period now providing the first formal opportunity for candidates to enter the contests. Under the Electoral Act, nominations are received between 10am and 3pm at the designated venues.