A total of 342 candidates contested the election, involving the 33 constituency seats, three seats reserved for women and three seats reserved for former combatants in the Bougainville House of Representatives and the presidency itself.[3] A total of 104,542 valid votes and 1,685 informal votes were cast.[4] The common roll included approximately 173,000 registered voters.[5]
As a part of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, the island was scheduled to hold a referendum on independence before 2020. The upcoming 2019 Bougainvillean independence referendum was an issue in the election, as whichever administration was elected would be in charge of managing the referendum. Analysts reported that incumbent president John Momis received support because his experience was seen as valuable for managing the referendum.[3]
The presidential election was held under the instant-runoff voting system, with voters classifying up to three candidates.[5] John Momis received a clear plurality of first-preference votes with 48,826.[1] Momis was easily re-elected, achieving an absolute majority on the fourth elimination with a total of 51,382 votes. His nearest competitor, former rebel commander Ishmael Toroama, finished with 18,466 votes. Sam Kauona and Sam Akoitai settled for third and fourth placings with 14,965 and 11,523 votes respectively.[3]
The election marked the victory of Josephine Getsi, the first woman to win an open seat in the Bougainville House of Representatives.[3] Of the 39 constituencies in the Bougainville House of Representatives, only 14 incumbent members were re-elected. All women's and former combatants' seats saw new members elected.[6]
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