The Bougainville election is to run for three weeks, from 12 August until 1 September.
Bougainville's electoral commissioner George Manu and acting election manager George Kenatsi (February 2020) Photo: Bougainville Electoral Commission
The writs for the election have been issued today.
Nominations start immediately and close on 23 June.
The Bougainville Electoral Commissioner, George Manu, said they were allowing for a longer polling period because of the limits imposed by Covid-19.
"We have to comply with the requirements of the health authorities, particularly with social distancing.
"Usually there's about two weeks polling but we have allowed this to comply with certain health requirements given by the Covid-19 Taskforce," he said.
Last week the Bougainville Government extended the coronavirus State of Emergency for another two months.
Mr Manu told the National newspaper social distancing measures would mean there would be no kaur dancing, (traditional Bougainville dancing), when candidates filed their nominations.
He said this was to limit crowding.
Mr Manu also said the Commission would be buying Personal Protective Equipment for electoral staff.
He said they would run the poll along the lines of last year's referendum although he conceded his agency didn't have the resources the Referendum Commission had.