Electoral Commission

O’Neill made this appeal after casting his vote in his home village in Kauwo in Pangia, Southern Highlands District.

He said every Papua New Guinean must be given opportunity to participate meaningfully and actively in this elections.

"The Electoral Commission must do everything possible, for every citizen that wants to vote in this Election, to be able to do so by allowing 2012 and the new rolls to be used together to identify people voting.

But what constitutes a failed election? And who calls the shots in such time?

At the Issue of Writes on April 20, the Electoral Commission re-activated the function of the Election Advisory Committee for the 2017 National Election.

The committee’s role is to report directly to Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato and to provide recommendations and advice on matters relating to cancelation and withdrawal of writ for an election.

Yesterday, polling at the station was suspended when only 197 ballot papers were distributed to the station, which caters to over a thousand eligible voters in the area.

Additional 750 papers were issued after residents confronted the officials at Rita Flynn and proceeded to the Electoral Commission.

Polling for the station was extended to today, Saturday, July 1.

Team 177 commenced polling at around 11 o’clock with a total of 947 papers, as confirmed by Presiding Officer Martin Kamas.

According to the Electoral Commission, 73 percent (65 electorates) of all electorates have commenced polling as scheduled while 19 percent (17 electorates) are gazetted to start later in the polling period.

“3 percent of electorates were rescheduled to a later date and 4 percent (4 electorates) of electorates have not yet commenced polling in accordance with the gazette.”

Meanwhile, the National Capital District and Southern Highlands will start their one-day polling today. 

Download a copy of the NCD polling schedule here: https://goo.gl/pNNpJc

The EC says: “Polling booths are organised based on voters’ LAST name.

“If there are multiple polling booths at your polling place, you will need to find your polling booth.

Polling was deferred yesterday after electoral officials raised concerns over non-payment of their allowances.

Gamato highlighted that polling is an important process and a democratic right so employers must allow their workers to vote on Friday.

“In the past elections, people have gone out to vote and there have been some arrangements between themselves and their employers.

“With the deferral of polling, I think people can make adjustments again as it is only one day polling.

Disgruntled residents said many of them took time off from work to vote today and said the last-minute announcement was the first-of-its-kind, criticising the Electoral Commission for the lack of planning.

Soon after the announcement by the Electoral Commission at around 9am, police officers arrived at several polling areas in the electorate to inform polling officials to pack up.

Polling was already underway at East Boroko and Manu when they were ordered to stop.

These outstanding claims have not been settled over the last five years and are now affecting polling in some areas around the country.

Polling in Telefomin in the Sandaun province, and South and Central Bougainville in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, have been disrupted due to outstanding claims.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato could not give specifics of outstanding claims for each province but said according to the Commission’s records, K17 million is owned to the general service providers.

The Media Centre will be responsible for releasing all validated information during polling and counting.  

Electoral Commissioner, Patilias Gamato who launched the media centre, said the centre will be a vital platform for informing the public.

Information uploaded from the media centre onto its website will come from the Presiding Officers during polling and Returning Officers during counting.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato confirmed with Loop PNG that the distribution exercise started on Saturday, two weeks before polling for the 2017 National Election starts.    

“All polling materials dispatched to all provinces. Sensitive materials like ballot papers, ink rolls, candidate posters started going out on Saturday,” Gamato said.  

He confirmed the provinces are Manus, Bougainville, Sandaun, East Sepik, Oro, Milne Bay, Western, Morobe and Madang.

Gamato said the Australian Defence Force is helping airlift the materials to each province.