2020 Palauan general election
← 2016 3 November 2020 2024 →
Presidential election
 
Nominee Surangel Whipps Jr. Raynold Oilouch
Party Independent Independent
Popular vote 5,699 4,351
Percentage 56.71% 43.29%
Vice Presidential election
 
Nominee Uduch Sengebau Senior Frank Kyota
Party Independent Independent
Popular vote 5,112 4,671
Percentage 52.25% 47.75%
President before election

Tommy Remengesau
Independent

President after election

Surangel Whipps Jr.
Independent

Politics of Palau
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  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    Minister: Gustav Aitaro

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

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.

Following 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]

CandidatePrimaryGeneral
Votes%Votes%
Surangel Whipps Jr.3,54646.305,69956.71
Raynold Oilouch1,98425.914,35143.29
Johnson Toribiong1,14514.95
Alan R. Seid98312.84
Total7,658100.0010,050100.00
Valid votes7,65898.7610,05098.49
Invalid/blank votes961.241541.51
Total votes7,754100.0010,204100.00
Registered voters/turnout16,42047.2216,75460.90
Source: MBJ, MV, Island Times

Vice president

CandidateVotes%
Uduch Sengebau Senior5,11252.25
Frank Kyota4,67147.75
Total9,783100.00
Valid votes9,78395.87
Invalid/blank votes4214.13
Total votes10,204100.00
Registered voters/turnout16,75460.90
Source: Island Times

Senate

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Independents130
Total130
Total votes10,204–
Registered voters/turnout16,75460.90

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 (died in 2023, succeeded by Lentcer Basilius)
  11. Kerai Mariur
  12. Secilil Eldebechel
  13. Regis Akitaya (died in 2022, succeeded by Salvador Tellames)

House of Delegates

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Independents160
Total160
Total votes10,204–
Registered voters/turnout16,75460.90

References

  1. ^ "Remengesau to exit Palau political arena after 2020". Pacific Island Times. 28 December 2018.
  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. Archived from the original on 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
  5. ^ "IPU PARLINE database: PALAU (House of Delegates), Electoral system". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Archived from the original on 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
  6. ^ "Four candidates seek the presidency in Palau elections in 2020". January 19, 2020. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  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. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
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