West Sepik LLG faces few common roll issues, few unable to cast votes

West Sepik Province has officially commenced polling today for the Local Level Government Elections for 2025

In Vanimo Urban as voters turned up to cast their votes, most of them have been turned away due to names not on the common roll to vote.

According to former Councilor for Ward 4 in Vanimo Urban Nick Nati, the population for Ward 4 is around 1600 but they have been given around 831 ballot papers to vote which most of the eligible voters missed out in voting today.

This is the same situation for Ward 1 and 7, who turned up to vote today.

Assistance Returning Officer for Vanimo Urban Berry Dickmop in an interview with NBC Online said the issue of names not on the common roll is partly the voters' fault of not being present at the time when officers were sent out to collect data to update the common roll.

Mr. Dickmop says the updates common roll was updated last year when officers were sent out to collect names of people in each ward last year 2024, but he said many of the voters now missing out have not made it their business get their names on the common roll.

He says this is a common issue every time when there is National Census and election often people miss out mostly because they are just ignorant.

Mr. Dickmop also noted that some failures can also be on the officers sent out to update the roll.

"There are three types of people they must look at when collecting data, those eligible voters who have been in the ward for years, those who have transferred in and lived for more than 6 months and Provisional Enrolments, those who will be turning 18 before the issuing of writs.

"The officers must also look at those who have deceased. These who have transferred out, and ghosts' names should be removed from the updated common roll." Said Mr. Dickmop.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, when polling was further delayed to this date, the Election Manageress for West Sepik Salote Kai has assured the people that they will use this given time to make sure all eligible voters names are on the common roll for them to cast their votes when polling begins.