By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang

KOROR, Palau – As election day unfolds in Palau, absentee ballots for Palauan voters in Taiwan have yet to arrive. The Palau Election Commission (PEC) began mailing absentee ballots to voters shortly after receiving them from Guam on October 15. However, ballots for the significant Palauan diaspora in Taiwan, which includes students and medical referral patients, are still missing.

PEC stated that the ballots destined for Taiwan were sent through Palau’s Post Office. Delays may be attributed to the lack of direct postal services between Palau and Taiwan, potentially causing ballots to take longer, indirect routes.

“I sent my absentee ballot request over a month ago but haven’t received it yet,” one Palauan student in Taiwan said. A medical referral patient also voiced frustration: “I requested my ballot more than two weeks ago, but it still hasn’t arrived.”

Island Times contacted the Palau Post Office to confirm their role in facilitating the PEC’s efforts to reach absentee voters in Taiwan. However, as of press time, the post office has not provided a response.

Delays in ballot printing due to a legal challenge over redistricting, filed by Mr. Jackson Ngiraingas, have contributed to this ripple effect, further pushing back the dispatch of ballots to absentee voters.

Taiwan hosts over 60 Palauan students and numerous medical referral patients, many of whom will remain there for extended periods. The PEC’s delay in reaching this key group of overseas voters raises concerns about their ability to participate in the election.