Students and staff of the University of Papua New Guinea eager to cast their votes for the Moresby Northwest by-election were left outraged by delays brought about by Electoral Commission officials which saw them take to the polls well after midday yesterday.
The unavailability of an updated common roll at the UPNG Drill Hall was a main cause of much confusion which saw polling officials stall voting at the location for the earlier part of the day while awaiting directives from the Assistant Returning Office who had left to consult with the Election Manager on a way to go about this obstacle.
Presiding Officer, Rex Ben said the common roll available had not been updated since the 2017 National General Elections which meant records were outdated.
To avoid a further delay, the presiding officer later made a call to allow for polling to finally commence, giving a priority to students from the university with a current school ID to cast their votes.
