Parliamentary elections were held in Nauru on 24 September 2022 to elect all 19 members of parliament. All candidates were elected on a non-partisan basis. Following the election, Russ Kun, a member of parliament for Ubenide, was elected president by parliament.

Background In the 2019 elections, nearly half of the Parliament members lost their seats, including incumbent President Baron Waqa. Justice minister David Adeang, Waqa's deputy, retained his seat. Adeang was a candidate in the following presidential election; he lost to Lionel Aingimea, who had been an assistant minister.

The Aingimea government implemented some electoral changes. Potential candidates in regularly scheduled general elections were now required to register their intention 270 days before the end of the parliamentary term. These declared candidates would then file nominations during the nomination period. To address public concerns about granting citizenship to foreigners, the government held a constitutional referendum in 2021 which disqualified naturalised citizens and their descendants from running for Parliament.Parliament Jan–Feb 2022 Nauru Bulletin, 4 March 2022

Aingimea also pushed for strong stances in Pacific affairs. Nauru supported the Micronesia boycott of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2021, which aimed for a Micronesian secretary-general; it also offered to temporarily host a Micronesia secretariat. When University of the South Pacific Vice-Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia was deported from Fiji after investigating university finances, Nauru hosted Ahluwalia at its campus for the term. Aingimea also supported the USP Council's decision to renew Ahluwalia's contract, and commissioned the auditing firm BDO to further pursue the investigation.

Electoral system The 19 members of Parliament are elected from eight multi-member constituencies using the Dowdall system, a version of ranked voting; voters rank candidates, with the votes counted as a fraction of one divided by the ranking number (e.g. a candidate ranked second will be scored as ); the candidates with the highest total are elected.Electoral system IPU There are no political parties, so all candidates run as independents. Informal groups do form in Parliament, but membership is fluid.

Parliament is elected for a three-year term, but can be dissolved earlier. The government, which comprises the President and the Cabinet, must retain the support of a majority in Parliament.

All citizens aged 20 and older are permitted to cast their ballot; once an individual reaches voting age, they are automatically added to the electoral roll. Voting is compulsory in Nauru; individuals who fail to vote without sufficient reasoning are required to pay a fine. Nauruans who provide proof of illness, are in hospital or are not present in the country on election day are excused. However, Nauruans overseas on the polling day have the option to engage in proxy voting, where an individual assigns someone in Nauru to vote on their behalf. The electoral commission provides a mobile voting service for voters hospitalised or unable to go to polling stations due to incapacity, involving polling staff travelling to these individuals to ensure they can cast their ballot.

Conduct On 29 August, Speaker of Parliament Marcus Stephen issued a writ of election for 24 September. 8,054 eligible voters registered for this election. The electoral roll was opened between 1 and 3 September for verification. Nominations were accepted between 4 and 10 September. 77 candidates were nominated to contest the election. The Pacific Islands Forum sent an election monitoring team led by Feue Tipu, the High Commissioner of Tuvalu to New Zealand.

Early voting commenced on 19 September. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the electoral commission encouraged polling stations to enforce rigorous hygiene measures. On election day, 24 September, the polling concluded at 6 pm local time.

Results The vote count began after the close of polls, and was completed on Monday, 26 September. The speaker and the twelve government members retained their seats. Out of the six opposition members, two were unseated: Milton Dube (Aiwo) and Tawaki Kam (Meneng).

Former presidents Ludwig Scotty and Baron Waqa ran for election, but did not enter Parliament.

Aiwo CandidatePreference votesTotalNotes12345678910Rennier Gadabu 248 178 66 38 12 23 17 30 40 146 399.956 Re-electedDelvin Thoma 183 166 76 64 53 29 53 58 87 29 350.155 ElectedMilton Dube 142 74 67 62 60 35 56 73 82 147 275.603 UnseatedAaron Cook 84 35 60 61 62 89 91 144 115 57 213.461 Vania Scotty 60 51 53 76 89 141 118 76 88 46 204.202 Clarissa Jeremiah 38 68 113 79 91 115 118 86 58 32 204.035 Shane Detenamo 15 57 151 122 116 83 91 71 57 35 193.075 Ken Blake 9 55 89 117 175 112 83 76 53 29 179.229 Cory Caleb 3 93 69 42 48 83 76 101 121 162 159.560 Evi Agir 16 21 54 137 92 88 95 83 97 115 158.041 Invalid/blank votes 17 Total 815 Source: Electoral Commission of Nauru

Anabar CandidatePreference votesTotalNotes123456789Pyon Deiye 300 211 38 50 14 13 5 22 5 439.653 Re-electedMaverick Eoe 245 192 48 22 18 21 16 14 82 382.747 Re-electedLudwig Scotty 57 43 39 48 53 51 75 149 143 167.828 Marita Agigo 17 58 68 85 52 64 197 91 26 153.390 Bureiy Deireragea 15 36 72 68 173 135 58 55 46 151.372 Junior Olsson 19 53 101 57 52 40 61 102 173 151.170 Patrick Scotty 4 44 54 176 104 98 61 63 54 147.723 Dawson Agege 1 9 169 64 96 62 88 92 77 139.994 Narmi Doguape 0 12 69 88 96 174 97 70 52 127.585 Invalid/blank votes 17 Total 675 Source: Electoral Commission of Nauru

Anetan CandidatePreference votesTotalNotes123456Timothy Ika 483 324 30 22 20 19 667.667 Re-electedMarcus Stephen 298 346 75 43 48 88 531.017 Re-electedRaynor Tom 39 89 188 125 398 59 266.850 Clifford Simon 11 46 260 365 151 65 252.950 Cyril Buraman 62 68 62 79 74 553 243.383 Begg Adire 5 25 283 264 207 114 238.233 Invalid/blank votes 11 Total 909 Source: Electoral Commission of Nauru

Boe CandidatePreference votesTotalNotes123456Asterio Appi 396 175 92 51 107 221 585.150 Re-electedMartin Hunt 318 325 85 135 128 51 576.683 Re-electedWanganeen Emiu 207 212 122 119 191 191 453.450 Baron Waqa 103 66 114 106 260 393 318.000 Samvic Namaduk 8 154 333 243 184 120 313.550 Dempsey Detenamo 10 110 296 388 172 66 306.067 Invalid/blank votes 4 Total 1046 Source: Electoral Commission of Nauru

Buada CandidatePreference votesTotalNotes123456789Bingham Agir 205 47 13 14 7 11 11 26 175 263.833 Re-electedShadlog Bernicke 166 38 31 21 14 27 23 74 115 233.197 Re-electedSean Halstead 34 108 68 56 55 49 59 72 8 162.151 Jaxon Olsson 34 60 53 73 71 121 48 36 13 147.085 Sheeva Peo Cook 38 60 62 61 56 35 88 76 33 146.688 Rowan Detenamo 11 35 110 81 75 69 50 53 25 128.462 Aie Ribauw 11 50 50 51 114 78 81 59 15 121.830 Elchen Morgan 5 79 58 45 59 50 62 67 84 121.782 Nanero Thoma 5 32 64 107 58 69 87 46 41 114.917 Invalid/blank votes 2 Total 511 Source: Electoral Commission of Nauru

Meneng CandidatePreference votesTotalNotes1234567891011Lionel Aingimea 442 174 98 57 47 42 43 80 80 129 147 643.612 Re-electedKhyde Menke 223 349 117 77 52 38 39 44 64 136 191 530.630 Re-electedJesse Jeremiah 223 134 127 95 88 65 77 75 160 113 182 450.515 ElectedTawaki Kam 146 128 160 109 98 77 153 94 114 134 126 394.145 UnseatedVodrick Detsiogo 63 92 138 134 131 144 171 219 105 82 60 315.825 Robert Timothy 59 99 111 132 155 132 136 132 134 197 52 306.745 Wiram Wiram 83 81 114 89 94 103 92 136 171 140 236 304.314 Ronay Dick 16 79 218 192 175 169 156 116 99 78 41 298.646 Jim Brechtefeld 68 61 84 126 103 198 145 168 151 129 106 292.628 Samson Rock 3 78 100 121 229 167 171 146 131 101 92 254.914 Nickos Simon 4 64 72 207 167 204 156 129 130 100 106 292.628 Invalid/blank votes36Total1375Source: Electoral Commission of Nauru

Ubenide CandidatePreference votesTotalNotes123456789101112131415161718Russ Kun 275 263 235 129 127 46 48 31 47 39 25 283424331044632 592.124 Re-electedDavid Adeang 254 270 168 145 96 59 42 27 38 24 29 253132486259157 554.938 Re-electedWawani Dowiyogo 231 286 135 104 53 45 33 29 30 40 22 302834458924686 515.666 Re-electedReagan Aliklik 249 66 87 63 31 33 17 34 36 43 46 4251393873148470 409.732 Re-electedVyko Adeang 148 63 81 144 76 57 51 67 89 107 98 916996731397047 352.390 Ranin Akua 108 170 76 80 85 55 77 77 63 80 54 5872739611814776 347.464 Gregor Garoa 68 127 153 146 123 143 114 94 80 65 55 60836884593914 343.897 George Gioura 53 61 121 143 149 169 138 104 88 79 54 64599169395431 301.159 Daniel Itsamaera 51 48 124 69 64 65 66 92 124 104 123 110138125111585638 258.646 Mark Menke 21 39 53 109 96 106 124 125 126 112 106 818914378676130 228.912 Livingstone Hiram 22 24 61 61 81 95 105 103 132 139 112 17612910070764733 213.987 Ceila Giouba112065901171201221509210983788552687483147212.373Aidan Atto22294539631151101431141381641509710291605133209.879Starsky Dagagio111225521641311051081291151241049885735568107199.098Fabain Ribauw13223454909912510510687121102961131461157365194.575Wavman Harris182427484280117103951191591111371541331096030190.896Maximillian Kun5234456545993797570931291671351721498479176.097Temakau Tannang619323454897995102969812710310013812917491171.506Invalid/blank votes64Total1630Source: Electoral Commission of Nauru

Yaren +CandidatePreference votesTotalNotes12345678Charmaine Scotty249261684841784960449.867Re-electedIsabella Dageago257492930374187324365.829Re-electedCaruso Amwano1566759575661210188298.283Hunter Itaia110113107607615016177289.992John Julius181282271431291026740250.788Charisma Capelle347213514415715511839229.965Rumple Cain20711102211621238067220.120Mariae Cain10931191511961448259216.206Invalid/blank votes5Total859 Source: Electoral Commission of Nauru

Presidential election Following the elections, the newly elected MPs elected the president, who was required by the constitution be a member of parliament. The first session of the 24th parliament was held on 28 September. Russ Kun, a representative for the Ubenide constituency, was the only candidate for president. Former president Marcus Stephen won re-election as speaker of parliament, whilst outgoing president Lionel Aingimea was elected deputy speaker.

Kun and his thirteen-member cabinet were sworn in a ceremony on 29 September. There were six other ministers besides Kun himself, and seven deputy ministers (which included the two new members). Both heads of resident missions, from Australia and Taiwan, were in attendance. The visiting New Zealand high commissioner met with Kun to offer congratulations, and the non-resident European Union ambassador to the Pacific congratulated him on Twitter.

2023 Presidential election

On 25 October 2023 parliament passed a vote of no confidence against Kun. The same day, parliament unsuccessfully attempted to elect a new president. The two nominees were opposition MP David Adeang and government MP Rennier Gadabu. After two rounds of ballots, the vote was ultimately 9–9 on both occasions. Speaker Marcus Stephen then called for a new presidential vote to be held on 30 October. On 30 October, MP Bingham Agir nominated MP Delvin Thoma for president. After the first secret ballot, MP Adeang and Thoma were tied at nine votes. In the second vote, Thoma received only eight votes to Adeang's ten, resulting in the election of Adeang as president. Adeang was sworn in on 31 October.

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