Papua New Guinea Backs Down on Sabbath Voting

A citizen considers various candidates in the upcoming national elections in Papua New Guinea. The government has made changes to the days when people can vote after a request by Seventh-day Adventist leaders asking for religious accommodation. Image by Adventist Record

June 12, 2017 | Papua New Guinea | Ken Kingston, Adventist Record

Electoral officials in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have made changes to the upcoming general election to ensure no Christian will have to vote on their day of worship.

After the announcement was made that polling would run from June 24 to July 8, a concerned Kepsie Elodo, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in PNG, wrote to the Chief Electoral Commissioner noting that these dates included three Saturdays. For Seventh-day Adventists, Saturday is the seventh-day Sabbath that, following Bible commands, church members keep as holy (Exodus 20:8-11.) Elodo warned that if electoral officials scheduled their visit to a particular community on a Saturday, local Adventists there would not vote.

“We were worried about Sunday-keeping Christians too,” said Cameron Wari, communication director for the PNG Union Mission. “They would be in the same situation if they were asked to vote on Sunday.” But he admits he was doubtful that Elodo’s appeal would produce any results from authorities only a month out from the start of polling.

While awaiting a response from the Electoral Commission, Elodo also released a statement addressed to the nation’s 294,000 Adventist members, encouraging them to pray and work towards a peaceful campaign and election season.

“Avoid voting on the Sabbath,” wrote Elodo. “While we respect our [government] authority, God’s law is superior.”

Church leaders and members in Papua New Guinea were very grateful when the Electoral Commission responded positively to their concerns, communicating through the media that although the polling dates would officially remain the same, electoral officials would not be working on weekends. The government is widely expected to announce Monday, June 27, as a public holiday, so employees in towns can have time to vote.

“I call on all Seventh-day Adventists to pray for the elections,” said Elodo. “Every church member must pray so God will appoint good leaders to run our nation.”