Palau Election Commission implemented a policy where it no longer accepts bulk mail containing more than one absentee ballot. The practice of collecting ballots after people vote and sending them as bulk mail to Palau Election Commission is no longer accepted. This practice has been used extensively with votes from Palauans living outside of the country. Palau Election Commission amended its regulations making this former practice unacceptable.
Since the implementation, Palau Election Commission has rejected bulk mail with absentee ballots from outside of Palau. In the November General Election for Aimeliik State, three bulk mail were received from outside. None of the ballots inside were counted. Early this December, Ngeremlengui State held its General Election, and three bulk mails were also received. None of the ballots in the bulk mail were recorded.
“We do not record, count nor reject the ballots individually, we reject the bulk mail as a whole,” stated the Palau Election Commission Office when reached for comment.
Aimeliik and Ngeremlengui States have large voting populations outside of Palau, and the policy to reject bulk mail may have markedly impacted the voting outcomes of the state’s general election.
Aimeliik State has 850 registered voters and only 339, or 40%, cast their votes.
Ngeremlengui has 633 registered voters, and 395, or 62% cast their votes.
Melekeok State, which had just held its general election this week, has 753 and 344 cast their votes. The window to receive absentee ballots is still open. Number of absentee ballots received is yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, based on the unofficial results of the Melekeok State General Election, incumbent governor Henaro Polloi is far ahead of the new contender Joann Risong Tarkong and looks to maintain his position in the next term.
There are five seats to be filled in the Melekeok Legislature, and only five candidates ran for the seats, so all five are expected to maintain their seats in the 11th Melekeok State Government.