Election Day is National Holiday
The day Palauans go to the polls to elect their leaders, has been declared a “National Day of Democracy,” which is observed as a national holiday.
This year’s national election day falls on November 1, which will be observed as a national holiday with the national and state government taking a day-off except for essential services to continue.
Declaring the election day as a national holiday was issued by President Johnson Toribiong through an executive order on 31 Oct 2012.
“Whereas, it is proper and fitting that a date be set aside for us to honor and celebrate this undelying principle of democracy, that is the precious right of suffrage, and no date is more appropriate for this purpose that the National Election Day as designated by our Constitution,” states the Executive Order No. 313.
The last national election on November 6, 2012 was the first time it was observed as a national holiday.
Election Day is scheduled on Nov. 1 with 31 seats up for grabs including the Senate and the House of Delegates seats.
Incumbent President Tommy Remengesau Jr. and his challenger Sen. Surangel Whipps Jr. will fight it out for the presidency while Sen. Raynold Oilouch and Koror State Governor Yositaka Adachi will face off in the vice-presidential seat.
