(Seychelles News Agency) - Voters on eight of Seychelles’ outer islands cast ballots on Thursday in the island nation’s three-day presidential and National Assembly elections. 

Seychellois nationals working on Coetivy, Platte, Poivre, D’Arros, Remire, Desroches, Farquar and Alphonse cast 220 ballots on the first day of the vote.

Three different groups of electoral officers from the main island of Mahe flew to these islands for the exercise. They were accompanied by representatives of the political parties contesting the elections as well as by elections observers. 

One voter at a special station on the island of Alphonse, Daniel Cupidon, told SNA that the process went quicker than he had anticipated, less than an hour. "It is the fifth time that I am voting on Alphonse," said Cupidon, who has been working with the Alphonse Resort for over 20 years.

One staff member said that voting took place about an hour earlier than had been planned, soon after the delegation arrived on the island. Three persons could note vote as their names did not appear on the voter's register, including two who hadn't registered. Both expressed their wish that elections on the three main islands in Seychelles are held peacefully.

The second day of elections, Friday, voting will take place on Astove, Assomption, Aldabra, Ile aux Vache, Denis and Fregate islands and at special stations on the main island of Mahe. 

The main voting day will be on Saturday when voters will cast their ballots in the three most populated islands of Seychelles, Mahe, Praslin and La Digue from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. 

Three men are vying for president in the elections: Wavel Ramkalawan from the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), Danny Faure, the incumbent president of United Seychelles (US) and Alain St Ange of One Seychelles. 

Four parties and two independent candidates will vie for a seat in the National Assembly, the island nation's legislative body. Linyon Demokratik Seselwa and United Seychelles have candidates in all the twenty-six electoral districts. One Seychelles and Lalyans Seselwa have 18 and three candidates respectively. 

The last presidential election in Seychelles took place in December 2015 and the National Assembly election in September 2016