Polling for Usino-Bundi by-election commence yesterday after a week-long delay

Tuesday, 22 July 2025, 8:21 am

Polling for the Usino/Bundi by-election in Madang Province managed to kick- off yesterday after being deferred for a week.

However, only one of the 23 polling teams was able to successfully conduct polling at Ward 22 of Bundi Local Level Government.

The voting population in Ward 22 is roughly 3,000.

Two polling teams for Gama and the other two for Bundi were successfully inserted into their various polling locations by helicopter today.

Two more teams each for these two LLGs will be inserted tomorrow morning.

Returning Officer for the Usino/ Bundi by-election, Terence Baiyo said polling in Ward 1 of Usino LLG, which is the Ramu Sugar Township, was also pushed back to tomorrow at the request of voters.

They said polling teams arrived late at the station.

The voting population in Ward 1 is about five thousand.

Baiyo said more teams are expected to start polling today.

He reported no major problems today except for the delay to polling at Ramu Sugar.

Meanwhile, a storage container for the ballot papers is yet to be moved to the Walium Police Station from the Walium Health Centre, just across the road.

Returning Officer Baiyo said they need a side- lift to move the container from the health centre to the police station.

Meanwhile, for the used ballot papers from Ward 22 of Bundi LLG, Baiyo said they will have to hear from the scrutineers who represent their candidates.

Candidates agreed yesterday that all ballot papers must be stored and locked away in a container