At Stake in this Election: 

On 20 November 2023, the Marshall Islands will hold a referendum on several constitutional amendments proposed in 2018. The proposed amendments would establish a national Ombudsman position, give the Traditional Rights Court greater powers to adjudicate land disputes based on customary law, clarify the Attorney General’s ability to prosecute high officials, redefine citizenship by birth, extend citizenship to certain residents based on marriage, and add a seat for Mili Atoll to the Council of Iroij. A parliamentary election will be held concurrently. 

Government Structure:  

• Chief of State: President David KABUA (since 13 January 2020) 

• Head of Government: President David KABUA (since 13 January 2020) 

• Assembly: unicameral Parliament (Nitijela) with 33 seats 

Electoral System:  

• The President is indirectly elected by fellow members of Parliament and may serve an unlimited number of 4-year terms. 

• In Parliament, all 33 members are directly elected by plurality vote and serve 4-year terms. 

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: 30 January 2023 

• Voter registration deadline: 30 December 2022 

• Overseas voters must register to vote by mail by 6 November 2023. 

Population: 

• Population: 41,570 (2022 est.) 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 20,350 (2022 est.) 

• CEDAW Status: Ratified (by accession) 2 March 2006 

• Gender Quota: No 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 2 out of 33 (6.1%) in Parliament 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.639, Medium, Rank 131 (2021)  

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Not available  

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Ratified (by accession) 17 March 2015 

• Projected population with a disability: 6,651 (2022 est.)  

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in the Marshall Islands: Yes, programming 

• Election Access: Yes