2016 Palauan presidential election


The 2016 presidential election in Palau was held on November 1, 2016, in conjunction with the 2016 Palauan general election. Incumbent President Tommy Remengesau, seeking re-election, faced a competitive challenger from his brother-in-law, Surangel Whipps Jr. Remengesau and Whipps emerged as the presidential nominees following the primary election on September 27, 2016.
President Tommy Remengesau won the election with 5,109 votes, while Senator Whipps received 4,854 votes.

Declared candidates

Four candidates had declared their intention to seek the presidency in 2016, including Remengesau, who was seeking re-election.
The deadline to file nominating petitions for a presidential run was August 3, 2016.
President Tommy Remengesau declared his candidacy for re-election on March 1, 2016, at a campaign kick-off held at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center. Senator Surangel Whipps Jr., who began campaigning for president in 2015 and announced his candidacy earlier in the year, became the first candidate to file his candidacy with the Palau Elections Commission Office om July 20, 2016. Sandra Pierantozzi, the former Vice President under Remengesau, was the only woman to enter the race.
A presidential debate with all four candidates was held on August 17, 2016, at the Palau Community College. The debate was jointly sponsored by the Palau Media Council and the Palau Community College.

Presidential primary election

The presidential primary election was held on September 27, 2016. President Remengesau won the primary with 4,951 votes, while Whipps Jr. placed second with 3,762 votes to qualify for the presidential general election on November 1, 2016.
Following their losses at the September 27 primary, Sandra Pierantozzi and Antonio Bells both endorsed Surangel Whipps Jr. for president over Remengesau.

Results

Early results, released on November 2, 2016, initially showed Whipps leading with 1,832 votes, with incumbent President Remengesau trailing with 1,667 votes. However, by November 4, Remengesau had regained a slim lead with 4,108 votes, while Whipps trailed by just 78 votes, or 4,030 votes.
The presidential election would therefore be decided by the absentee ballots. The Palau Election Commission said that absentee ballots would be counted after November 8. Elenita Bennie Brel, the administrator of the national Election Service, announced that final results for the presidential would not be known until later in November, since absentee and provisional ballots would be sorted and counted in the presence of representatives of both presidential campaigns. Bennie Brel explained, "We want to make this election very fair and transparent for everyone who has concern and wants to come in. So after November 8 the counting of the absentee ballots and then it takes another 15 days for the board to certify them."
On November 10, 2016, it was announced that Remengesau had been re-elected President of Palau, defeating Whipps by 255 votes.