▁the ▁request ▁of ▁the ▁B oug ain ville ▁Refer endum ▁Commission ▁to ▁ensure ▁the ▁cred ibility ▁of ▁the ▁refer endum ▁roll ▁so ▁more ▁people ▁can ▁vote . ▁Both ▁govern ments ▁said ▁this ▁delay ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁last . ▁V oting ▁was ▁planned ▁to ▁take ▁place ▁over ▁two ▁weeks , ▁from ▁ 2 3 ▁November ▁to ▁ 7 ▁December . ▁ ▁The ▁vote ▁faced ▁a ▁high ▁degree ▁of ▁difficulty ▁to ▁organ ise , ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁in ▁small ▁ham lets ▁and ▁villages , ▁and ▁about ▁half ▁the ▁population ▁being ▁ill iter ate . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁former ▁T ao ise ach ▁of ▁Ireland ▁Bert ie ▁Ah ern ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁chair ▁the ▁B oug ain ville ▁Refer endum ▁Commission , ▁which ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁prepar ing ▁the ▁refer endum . ▁ ▁V ot ers ▁ ▁In ▁November , ▁the ▁B RC ▁completed ▁the ▁official ▁" cert ified ▁vot er ▁list " ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁pol ling ▁for ▁the ▁refer endum . ▁The ▁final ▁number ▁of ▁el ig ible ▁vot ers ▁was ▁ 2 0 6 , 7 3 1 , ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁nearly ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁M ales ▁under going ▁the ▁u pe ▁r ite ▁of ▁passage ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁vote ▁at ▁special ▁male - only ▁pol ling ▁stations . ▁B oug ain ville ans ▁living ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea , ▁or ▁in ▁Australia ▁and ▁Sol omon ▁Islands , ▁were ▁also