PNG Electoral Commission is expected to print the preliminary Electoral Roll by the end of the month and the rest of the rolls done and ready for nominations to commence in April.
Enrollment for eligible voters to update the Electoral Rolls started in January 2022 and is currently underway until the end of this month.
Electoral Commission Simon Sinai stated that enrollment has being updated and the data is in the process of progressing and entering the data.
“We are expecting to print the first preliminary roll at the end of this month and hopefully within April we should have all the rolls done and ready for the nominations”, said Mr Sinai.
Mr Sinai also stated that addressing the youth gap is a top priority and integrity measure that PNG Electoral Commission has put in place to include all the youth in this election, because right now young people between the age of 18- 34 are yet to be enrolled on the common roll.
He said 15% of the enrollment form 11 has being sent to all the provinces already. Mr Sinai said the Form 11 is the new enrollment form that everyone will be using to enrol.
“When enrollment is done we should be expecting a 15% increase from the last general election in 2017.”
“There should be an increase in the number of voters from the last election 2017 of 4.7million to about 6million eligible voters expected this election”, said Mr Sinai.
“6 million estimated voters for this election multiply by two papers, one for district and one for the provincial seat, in total about 12million ballot papers will be distributed throughout the country for voting this election,” he said.
He also highlighted that the nomination of the Returning Officers will be done this month, so come next month April the Electoral Commission will be getting ready to issue the writs and gearing up for the nominations.
The Issuing of the writs will be on Thursday 28th April at exactly 4pm and that is when nomination is also open.
He further stated that Nominations will close Thursday 5th May at exactly 4pm in the afternoon.
Polling will then commence on the Saturday 5th June and will close on Friday 8th July.
Return of writs on the Friday 29th July will officially close the 2022 election process.