IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Nauru

Republic of Nauru

11,260
Population (as of Feb. 8, 2019)

8,466
Registered Voters (as of July 18, 2025)

91.03%
Average Turnout

12
Elections in our database

V-Dem Score: N/A

CEDAW Status: Ratified
Ratified Date: June 23, 2011

SIGI Score: N/A

CRPD Status: Ratified
Ratified Date: June 27, 2012

HDI* Score: 0.703
Category: High
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Nauruan Parliament		Assembly

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Baron WAQA
Head of Government: President Baron WAQA
Assembly: Nauru has a unicameral Parliament with 19 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by parliament to serve a 3-year term.
In the Parliament 19 members are elected through a Borda Count system to serve 3-year terms.
Elections in Nauru are formally non-partisan. Nauru uses a modified Borda Count system called the Dowdall system. Key differences from the theoretical Borda system are that (1) this is applied in multimember constituencies and (2) the values assigned to a voter's preferences are fractions of a full point. (e.g. A voter's first preference carries a value of 1, her third preference a value of 1/3, and so on.) As with a single-winner Borda system, the N candidates with the highest vote totals win N seats in each district. There are six two-seat districts, one-three seat district, and one four-seat district. A voter must use all her rankings for his/her ballot to be valid.

Elections

2025-10-11 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 8,381
Registered 8,466
Turnout 99.0

2025-10-11 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 8,380
Registered 8,466
Turnout 98.98

2022-09-24 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 7,820
Registered 8,131
Turnout 96.18

2021-11-13 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 6,490
Registered 7,903
Turnout 82.12

2019-08-24 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 7,167
Registered 7,400
Turnout 96.85

2016-07-09 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 6,469
Registered 7,843
Turnout 82.48

2013-06-08 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 5,528
Registered 5,704
Turnout 96.91

2010-06-19 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 5,287
Registered 5,704
Turnout 92.69

2010-04-24 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 5,202
Registered 5,238
Turnout 99.31

2010-02-27 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 4,389
Registered 5,238
Turnout 83.79

2008-04-26 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 4,607
Registered 5,238
Turnout 87.95

2003-05-03 | Status: Held
Nauruan Parliament
Votes 3,881
Registered 5,097
Turnout 76.14

Election For	Date	Status	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Referendum	2025-10-11	Held	8,381	8,466	99.0
Nauruan Parliament	2025-10-11	Held	8,380	8,466	98.98
Nauruan Parliament	2022-09-24	Held	7,820	8,131	96.18
Referendum	2021-11-13	Held	6,490	7,903	82.12
Nauruan Parliament	2019-08-24	Held	7,167	7,400	96.85
Nauruan Parliament	2016-07-09	Held	6,469	7,843	82.48
Nauruan Parliament	2013-06-08	Held	5,528	5,704	96.91
Nauruan Parliament	2010-06-19	Held	5,287	5,704	92.69
Nauruan Parliament	2010-04-24	Held	5,202	5,238	99.31
Referendum	2010-02-27	Held	4,389	5,238	83.79
Nauruan Parliament	2008-04-26	Held	4,607	5,238	87.95
Nauruan Parliament	2003-05-03	Held	3,881	5,097	76.14

Voter Turnout

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