Electoral system for national legislature

PNG, Constitution (1975, last amended in 2014), accessed 6 June 2022

101. MEMBERSHIP

Subject to this section, the Parliament is a single-chamber legislature, consisting of-

a) a number of members elected from single-member open electorates; and

b) a number of members elected from single-member provincial electorates; and

c) not more than three nominated members, appointed and holding office in accordance with Section 102 (nominated members); and

d) a number of women elected from a single-member women's electorates as defined under an Organic Law.

Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute, PNG, Organic Law on National and Local-level Government Elections (1997, as amended in 2006), accessed 6 June 2022

138. VOTES TO BE MARKED IN PRIVATE.

Except as otherwise prescribed, a voter upon receipt of a ballot-paper shall without delay–

(a) retire alone to some unoccupied compartment of the booth, and in there, in private, mark votes for three candidates in order of preference or, where there are less than three candidates for each candidates in order of preference on the ballot-paper in the prescribed manner; […].

168. SCRUTINY OF VOTES IN ELECTIONS.

(1) Subject to this section and the Regulations, the result of an election shall be determined by scrutiny in the following manner:–

(a) the Returning Officer shall ascertain the total number of first preference votes given for each candidate;

(b) the candidate who has received the largest number of first preference votes, if that number be an absolute majority of votes, is elected;

(c) if no candidate has received an absolute majority of votes, a second count shall be held;

(d) on the second count the sealed parcels of ballot-papers shall be opened by the Returning Officer, the candidate who has received the fewest number of first preference votes shall be excluded and each ballot-paper counted to him shall be counted to the candidate next in order of the order of the voter’s preference;

(e) where a candidate then has an absolute majority of votes he shall be deemed to be elected, but where no candidate then has an absolute majority of votes the process of excluding the candidate who has the fewest votes and counting each of the ballot-papers to the unexcluded candidate next in order of the voter’s preference shall be repeated until one candidate has received an absolute majority of votes;

(f) the candidate who has received an absolute majority if the votes is elected; […]

The National, July 22 d-day for Papua New Guineans, 12 May 2022, accessed 6 June 2022

“This year’s general election is expected to be hotly contested and voters will not be spoilt for choice to elect 22 provincial governors, 96 members representing “open” electorates (Members of Parliament or MPs).”