 Home Voting FAQ
Voting Frequently Asked Questions
Questions & Answers
Q. Which voting system will be used for the Elections, First Past The Post or Preferential?
A. Limited Preferential Voting
Q. Will the electorates be the same for the 2007 Elections as for the 2002 Elections?
A. Yes. They will be the same.
Q. For Local Level Government, are both the Ward Councillors and the Presidents elected by the people?
A. The provinces that will elect both the Ward Councillors and the Presidents are specified below:
On 16th January, 2007, the National Executive Council approved direct elections of heads of local-level Governments by voters in:
- East New Britain Province
- Eastern Highlands Province
- East Sepik Province
- New Ireland Province
- West New Britain Province
- Morobe Province
These provinces now join Manus province which brings the total to 7 provinces who directly elect their presidents.
Q. Who can vote?
A. Men and women whose names are on the Electoral Roll.
Q. Do I have to vote?
A. It is not compulsory to vote. BUT, your vote counts. It is important.
Q. Where can I get the ballot papers?
A. At a polling place or by applying for a postal vote.
Q. Can I photocopy a blank ballot paper and fill it in?
A. No. Never.
Q. Will the Electoral Commission accept votes on anything but a proper ballot paper?
A. No. Never.
Q. Do I use the same ballot paper for the National and Local Level Government Elections or are they different?
A. They are different. Voters will be given three different ballot papers.
These will be easily identified because they are different colours - Provincial electorate, Open electorate and Ward. Note: For Manus - voters will be given four different ballot papers.
Q. If I make a mistake on the ballot paper what can I do?
A. You can give it back to the polling official and you will be given a new one. The polling official will then put the ballot paper with mistakes in a special envelope marked Spoilt Ballot Papers. Spoilt ballot papers are not counted.
Q. I am in prison. Can I vote?
A. Yes, if you are in jail for less than 9 months. No, if you are in jail for more than 9 months.
Q. What is the Electoral Commission doing to make sure under age voting is not possible?
A. The update of the Common Roll should make sure that people under the age of 18 can't enrol or vote.
Q. I want to vote in my electorate but I no longer live there. Can I?
A. No, if you are living away from your electorate for more than 6 months you must transfer your enrolment to your place of residence before the Issue of Writs. Yes, if you have been living away from your electorate for less than 6 months, you can vote in your electorate
Q. If I don't want to vote in the electorate where I am living, do I have a choice where I can vote?
A. No. Where you vote is not a matter of choice. It's a matter of law. You must vote in the electorate where you live.
Q. My name is not on the Electoral Roll. Can I vote?
A. No. We encourage you to make every effort to put your name on the Electoral Roll before the Issue of writs
Q. As the Head of the Family, can I vote for the members of my family who are 18 years or older?
A. No.
Q. Can somebody else fill in the ballot paper for me?
A. Not usually, but if you can't fill in the ballot paper yourself, you can get help from the polling official. For example, if you cannot read and write, are blind, have a disability, have injured or lost your writing hand in an accident.
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