A former Bougainville MP says as many as a third of voters in her area could not vote in the recent election because they were not on the roll.
Two weeks of voting in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region was completed at the weekend and counting is now underway.
The Election Commissioner recognised during the election that many names were missing from the roll and set up three emergency polling stations where the old roll could be accessed.
But Therese Jaintong, who won the Central Bougainville women's seat in 2005, says this did not solve the problem and many missed out.
"I would say they were turning away one third, and mostly young people. These are the people that should really be voting. Old people are voting, but young people - I don't think they registered them. It goes back to the updates of the common roll."
Therese Jaintong says the government needs to ensure that electoral staff enrolling voters visit houses at night when people are at home.
Counting is now underway in Bougainville after a two week voting period Photo: Supplied
