The Samoan Parliament has amended the Electoral Act 2019 following a late night sitting on Tuesday.
The changes were pushed through under urgency, bypassing the parliamentary committee screenings process.
Samoa Parliament Photo: RNZ Pacific
The amendments address some of the issues raised during the recent election petition court hearings.
They involve candidate eligibility and the government has sought to clarify this
By-elections are set to be held in seven constituencies.
All seven seats were won by candidates standing for the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which is now the opposition.
One change made is the provision for special voting booths in Apia for eligible voters from electorates outside of the capital.
They had been required to travel to their electorates to vote in the April poll - something voters found inconvenient and costly.
Candidate residency qualifications were also changed with emphasis put on "monotaga" or traditional service in the village.
Parliament is now in recess until Tuesday, December 14.