Polling extended by one day due to low voter turnout

ELECTION officials have extended polling for another day because of the low voter turnout in the Bougainville regional seat by-election.
Acting Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai who witnessed the polling, said only between 30 and 40 per cent of the total 200,000 registered voters turned up to cast their votes.
“Voter turn-out is a problem in any election, not only in PNG but anywhere in the world,” he said.
“In PNG, enrolment or voter registration is compulsory but voting is not compulsory unlike in Australia where both voter registration and voting are compulsory.”
Sinai, however, thanked the people of Bougainville for ensuring a peaceful exercise and urged them to maintain peace during the counting period.
The scheduled one-day polling was held on Wednesday Jan 20.
But it was extended to Thursday due to the low turn-out of voters in the North, Central and South Bougainville electorates.
The counting of primary votes was expected to start yesterday in Buin for South Bougainville, Arawa for Central Bougainville and Buka for North Bougainville.
Upon completion of the counting of primary votes, ballot boxes from Buin and Arawa will be transported to the central counting venue in Buka for eliminations. The declaration of the winning candidate is expected to be made on Friday.
The writ should be returned on or before Friday, Feb 19, to Government House.
Meanwhile, Sinai said the commission was preparing to get the Kandep recount underway.
He said a funding of K5 million was made available by Finance and Treasury.