Enrolment is the act of registering your name on the Electoral Roll. It is compulsory to enrol for eligible voters.
All Bougainvilleans who are PNG citizens, will be 18 years or older by election day, and are of sound mind, are eligible to enrol. Those temporarily outside their constituencies or residing outside Bougainville during the poling period may also apply to participate in external voting programs.
The eligibility criteria for enrolment are:
All eligible Bougainvilleans must enrol as required under the Bougainville Elections Act. If your name is not on the Electoral Roll, you will not be eligible to cast your vote during polling.
Enrolment has now closed for the 2025 ABG Elections.
Text either 8212 0336 or 7483 5592 with your:
You will receive a reply confirming whether your name is on the Electoral Roll and the Polling Place, Ward, and Constituency where you are enrolled to vote.
This SMS service will be available from Monday 4th August to Friday 30th August, operating 9:00am to 5:00pm on business days.
Under law, no new enrolments will be accepted during this period.
The Bougainville Elections Act 2007 provides for a LPV system. In this system, for a ballot paper to be formal, it requires an elector to vote by:
Put each marked and folder ballot paper into the matching colour ballot box.
Registered voters are assigned to a polling place within their ward of residence. You can find your polling place on the Polling Schedule.
1. Join the queue at your polling place. If you have a disability, are elderly, or are pregnant, you can immediately go to the front of the queue.
2. Enter the polling booth and check your name on the Electoral Roll.
3. Ink your finger.
4. Collect your ballot papers.
5. Go to an empty voting compartment and mark your ballot papers. Fold each ballot paper separately so no one can see your votes. Voting is secret.
6. Put each marked and folder ballot paper into the matching colour ballot box.
7. Exit the polling place.
Sections 39 & 109 Bougainville Elections Act 2007
A person must:
Assistance to certain voters
Section 115 Bougainville Elections Act 2007
Nominations for the 2025 ABG General Elections closed at 4:00PM – Thursday 10th July.
Intending candidates for the respective seats in the 2025 Bougainville General Election must ensure that they meet all the eligibility criteria for contesting before nominating their candidacy. Below are the nomination criteria for the president, single member constituency, regional women and regional former combatant seats.
Candidates must be:
1. Not less than 40 years of age
2. Qualified to vote in elections to the House of Representatives
3. Be a Bougainvillean
A person is not qualified to stand, or to continue to stand for election as President if-
1. He is not qualified or becomes disqualified, in accordance with Section 110 (right to vote) to vote in an election to the House of Representatives; or
2. He is or unsound mind within the meaning of any law relating to the person and property of persons of unsound mind; or
3. He is under, or becomes disqualified from standing for election under this Constitutions; or
4. He is, or becomes, a member of, or a candidate for election or appointment to, the National Parliament, or to the House of Representatives; or
5. He has already been elected a President on two occasions; or
6. He has been declared bankrupt by a court of competent jurisdiction and remains bankrupt.
Candidates must be:
1. Not less than 25 years of age
2. Qualified to vote in elections to the House of Representatives
3. Be a Bougainvillean
1. Be a member of a clan lineage that holds land in the constituency for which he/she wishes to nominate; or
2. Have resided continuously in that constituency for at least five years immediately prior to nomination; or
3. Have been born in that constituency
Candidates must be:
1. Not less than 25 years of age
2. Qualified to vote in elections to the House of Representatives
3. A woman and be a Bougainvillean; and
1. Be a member of a clan lineage that holds land in the Region (North, Central or South) of Bougainville for which she intends to nominate; or
2. Have resided continuously in that Region for at least five years immediately prior to nomination
Candidates must be:
1. Not less than 25 years of age
2. Qualified to vote in elections to the House of Representatives
3. A Bougainvillean and a former combatant; and
4. Be a member of a clan lineage that holds land in the Region (North, Central or South) of Bougainville for which he intends to nominate; or
5. Have resided continuously in that Region for at least five years immediately prior to nomination.
On top of this, the candidate must also have:
1. A statement signed by the person as to whether he is a former combatant of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army or of the Bougainville Resistance Force or the Me’ekamui Defence Force; and
2. A letter of support of his nomination signed by-
3. 20 members of the former combatant group to which he is belonged; and
4. 10 members of one of the other former combatant groups
1. All resident in the constituency for which he nominates, and each of whom shall, after his signature, indicate his membership in the Bougainville Former Combatant’s Association; and
The person nominating is a member of the Association, and was a combatant (paitman); and
The persons signing the letter of support (stated as above) are members of the Association.
This data is valid as of 23 August 2025.
The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner (OBEC) is pleased to announce that counting for the 5th ABG General Election has now started, and is expected to continue until 21 September.
The date scheduled for the Return of Writs is 22 September.
The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner (OBEC) is pleased to announce
that polling for the 2025 Bougainville General Election has now been completed,
including polling for Bougainvilleans outside Bougainville (BOBs).
Polling took place peacefully across Bougainville on 4–5 September, with extensions
made in some constituencies on 6 September to ensure voters had the chance to cast
their ballots.
The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner (OBEC) announces that polling for Bougainvilleans outside of Bougainville (BOB’s) centres will resume on Monday, the 8th of September for Central Bougainville voters except for Bougainvilleans in the Eastern Highlands Province will be polling for North, Central and South Bougainville.
To be an independent and competent electoral body striving to strengthen democracy in Bougainville through the adoption of transparent and inclusive electoral processes.
To strengthen democracy and good governance in Bougainville by conducting regular and credible elections through collaborative partnerships, strengthening the integrity of the electoral system, and enhancing OBEC’s institutional capacity.
• Integrity
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Independence and Impartiality
• Efficiency
• Service Oriented
• Professionalism
