Nabilah Safira
TechInPacific – The increased poll voters for PNG General Election is seen this year, with participants predicted to reach at least 6 million.
According to Electoral Commission Simon Sinai, every year the growth rate of voters increased by 3 percent, and in five years, as seen today, the election rake in 750,000 new voters who are mostly 18 years old.
The election is followed by a common roll update and data processing, which will give the preliminary poll. Government-subsidized fund for the roll was distributed from October last year around K40 m (USD11.4 m).
The 22 provinces, 89 open electorates, 331 local government council boundaries, and 6,375 council wards are supposed to report their updated common roll (both new and existing enrolments) from January to February, and so far, only 5 provinces (East Sepik, West Sepik, Milne Bay, Northern, Gulf) have reported (with more than 14% of progress).
Sinai explains that the roll updating process is held accountable with ward enrolment committees and LLG enrolment coordinators’ involvement as supervisors of the enrolment agents, which ‘encourage local ownership and discourage manipulation’. One of the roll’s objectives is to eliminate poll duplicates and unidentified poll voters.
The preliminary poll will take place on April 28 before the issue of writs.
Source: Pina.com.fj
