By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
KOROR, Palau – The Palau Senate passed the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2025 on its second reading last Wednesday, including a clarification on polling locations for the upcoming general election.
According to the Senate’s standing committee report on Senate Bill No. 11-111, the committee proposed adding language to clarify polling place locations for the 2024 elections. The amendment to Section 1526 of Title 23 of the Palau National Code states: “For each election, the election commission shall specifically provide that each voter may vote either in their state of residency or at a central polling place located in Koror.”
Despite multiple efforts by the election commission to eliminate central polling places to reduce costs and streamline the voting process, elections in Palau continue to use both local and central polling locations. Recent attempts by the commission and some states to require voters to cast their ballots exclusively in their state of residence, rather than at a central polling place in Koror, have all been unsuccessful.
During a Senate oversight hearing on April 23, Palau Election Commission board member Ben Yobch reported four instances of double voting attempts, where individuals cast votes at both local and central polling places.
The election commission continues to face rising costs as it procures voting envelopes for local polling places and recruits volunteers to support both local and central polling locations. The proposed budget includes $514,872 for the election commission’s administrative expenses and to conduct the upcoming general election, scheduled for November 12.