West Manggarai to hold village-head elections across 64 villages

Labuan Bajo — West Manggarai residents will vote for village heads on 29 September 2026 in 64 villages across 12 subdistricts, according to local government and police reports.

Why it matters: Voting, election logistics and security operations will affect participating villages across West Manggarai on 29 September 2026, while routine official activities are restricted during the election period.

The election involves 181 candidates, 62,787 registered voters and 138 polling stations. The West Manggarai government began distributing ballot boxes, ballot papers and other election materials to the villages on 28 September, according to VIVA NTT.

Police and other authorities have prepared security arrangements for the vote. RRI reported that 99 police personnel would secure the polling stations, while Detik reported that a combined force of 524 personnel would be deployed. The differing figures reflect different descriptions of the security deployment.

Election timetable

Campaigning took place from 23 to 25 September, followed by a quiet period from 26 to 28 September, according to RRI. Voting and counting are scheduled for 29 September.

The election covers villages in all 12 subdistricts of the regency. The local government has also restricted routine official activities in participating villages during the election stages, while allowing urgent activities such as disaster response, RRI reported.

For visitors travelling through West Manggarai, the vote means election logistics and security operations will be taking place across the regency on 29 September. The reports cited here do not announce a closure of Komodo National Park or a general restriction on visitor movement.

Sources

• RRI
• Detik Bali
• VIVA NTT
• Kupang Tribunnews