Voting Methods and Their Distribution in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

In this Discussion Paper, we propose a systematic classification of polling practices in Papua New Guinean national elections, using data gathered by election observers in 2022. Our classification permits a more careful examination of electoral inequality in Papua New Guinea, its geographical distribution and, with the use of data from previous elections, its change over time. It does so by focusing on the mechanical process of voting (or more generally, producing and destroying completed ballots). While there are important limitations both to this data and the proposed classification, they provide a valuable perspective on the geography of subnational political inequality and have a number of important applications in the analysis of Papua New Guinean politics and electoral administration.