The Bougainville Electoral Commissioner says the vote count will not start until at least next Wednesday.
Bougainville's electoral commissioner George Manu and acting election manager George Kenatsi (February 2020) Photo: Bougainville Electoral Commission
There had been an expectation that with the polling finishing within two weeks - more than a week earlier than anticipated - that the counting might start early.
But George Manu said he had received legal advice that starting the count before the prescribed time amounted to tampering, so he would not be allowing it.
During the election voters had a series of decisions to make - for president, women's and former combatants, and for the open seats, and Manu said returning officers had told him some of the voting papers had been put in the wrong boxes.
He said this would need to be sorted before the count and he would contact candidates today to tell them of his plans.
"We might even start a bit later, maybe the 3rd or 4th because of the sorting out of misplaced voting papers.
"There have definitely been misplaced voting papers - ROs [Returning Officers] and presiding officers have advised me of that," Manu said.