Transcript
People here in Timini in Bulolo Dictrict of Papua New Guinea's Morobe province, waiting patiently to vote. They've waited many hours in some cases, but no one is complaining.
There are 728 people registered to vote at this polling station. First-time voters are relishing the chance to do so.
My name is Yamo, and my surname is Joshua. I'm from Timini village in Bulolo District and I'm looking for the better member to be taking my future in. That's who.
She walked kilometres to get there, and now she's waiting to vote. It's slow going.
I'm waiting for three and a half hours ... Actually four hours. It takes me too long.
JB: And you know what you had to do when you get there?
Yes I know it, I know it very well.
But there are others who don't know the process so well, according to another waiting voter, Raphael.
There are many people around that ... A lot of people don't know how to read or write. So they've got to wait until they have somebody to escort them in and then they will write for them or put in the box.
JB: So that person telling them what to do, they're not telling them who to vote for, are they?
No, the person is going to say put your favourite (candidate) number in. You've got to fill your own numbers.
Polling officials calling voters through into the booth where they queue up, put their finger in indelible ink, then grab a ballot paper and cast their votes.
Two police officers stand by the polling booth, watching carefully.
One of the officers assists the electoral official with calling up voters from the long queue stretching out across the field, looking quietly on.
Scrutineers loom around the booth, taking tallies of those casting their votes.
"We scrutineers must be here all the time, watching every people cast their vote, make sure the serial number we record it because the bribery system here, people bribe and give money to polling officers to cast their votes. We scrutineers, we watch the polling box, we watch everything, make sure everything goes right."
After the day's polling, they'll keep a close eye on the ballot boxes.
"All the boxes will be transferred by police and security guards, plus scrutineers, up to the police stations and then will be locked up there for the next day, then we move it to another voting area."
Polling moves slowly through the day, and the electoral officials indicate polling might have to go into a second day, despite the Electoral Commission's schedule for one.
PNG voters have learnt to live with elections where things often don't go to plan.
Such as arriving at the polling station to find your name is not on the common roll, while a deceased fellow villager's name is.
It's simply the way things go in an election full of imperfections.
In Morobe Province, Johnny Blades
