2020 Palauan general election

General elections were held in Palau on 3 November 2020 to elect a President and the National Congress.[1][2]

2020 Palauan general election

3 November 2020

Presidential election

Nominee Surangel Whipps Jr. Raynold Oilouch Party Independent Independent Popular vote 5,699 4,351 Percentage 56.71 43.29

President before election Tommy Remengesau Independent President after election Surangel Whipps Jr. Independent

Electoral system

The President of Palau is elected using the two-round system.[3]

The 13 members of the Senate are elected from a single nationwide constituency by block voting, with each voter having 13 votes to cast.[4] The 16 members of the House of Delegates are elected in single-member constituencies based on the states using first-past-the-post voting.[5]

Results

President

The primary round was held on 22 September 2020 with four candidates.[6][7] The incumbent president, Thomas Remengesau Jr., was ineligible to stand again having reached his term limit.[8] Former presidential candidate (and brother-in-law of the incumbent) Surangel Whipps Jr. took first place in the primary, while Vice President Raynold Oilouch placed second to qualify for the second round of the presidential election.

Follwing the second round on 3 November, Oilouch conceded defeat to Whipps on 5 November after all the votes from Palau had been counted, giving Whipps a 1,202 vote lead with around 2,000 absentee votes still to be counted.[9] The Palau Election Commission officially certified the final results on 17 November.[10]

Candidate		Primary		General
		Votes	%	Votes	%
	Surangel Whipps Jr.	3,546	46.30	5,699	56.71
	Raynold Oilouch	1,984	25.91	4,351	43.29
	Johnson Toribiong	1,145	14.95
	Alan R. Seid	983	12.84
Total		7,658	100.00	10,050	100.00
Valid votes		7,658	98.76	10,050	98.49
Invalid/blank votes		96	1.24	154	1.51
Total votes		7,754	100.00	10,204	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		16,420	47.22	16,754	60.90
Source: MBJ, MV, Island Times

Vice president

Candidate		Votes	%
	Uduch Sengebau Senior	5,112	52.25
	Frank Kyota	4,671	47.75
Total		9,783	100.00
Valid votes		9,783	95.87
Invalid/blank votes		421	4.13
Total votes		10,204	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		16,754	60.90
Source: Island Times

Senate

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Independents			13	0
Total				13	0
Total votes		10,204	–
Registered voters/turnout		16,754	60.90

Elected members

1. Mason Whipps
2. Steven Kuartei
3. Andrew Tabelual
4. Mark Rudimch
5. Rukebai Inabo
6. Hokkons Baules
7. K. Topps Sungino
8. TJ Remengesau
9. Umiich Sengebau
10. Jonathan Isechal
11. Kerai Mariur
12. Cecilia Elbedechel
13. Regis Akitaya

House of Delegates

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Independents			16	0
Total				16	0
Total votes		10,204	–
Registered voters/turnout		16,754	60.90

References

1. "Remengesau to exit Palau political arena after 2020". Pacific Island Times.
2. "Republic of Palau 11th General Election". Palau Election Commission. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
3. Palau IFES
4. "IPU PARLINE database: PALAU (Senate), Electoral system". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
5. "IPU PARLINE database: PALAU (House of Delegates), Electoral system". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
6. "Four candidates seek the presidency in Palau elections in 2020". January 19, 2020.
7. "Palau goes to the polls for primary elections". RNZ. 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
8. "Palauans vote on new political era". RNZ. 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
9. Carreon, Bernadette (2020-11-05). "Oilouch concedes defeat to Whipps". Island Times. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
10. Carreon, Bernadette (2020-11-20). "Palau Election Commission officially certifies election results". Island Times. Retrieved 2020-11-22.