Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare claimed the country could not afford to have an election in the same year the Solomon Islands were hosting the Pacific Games.

The coalition nominated Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele in his place, while CARE, UP and the Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA) selected Matthew Wale.

Manasseh Sogavare, who had previously served three non-consecutive terms as prime minister, two of which ended in no-confidence votes, refounded his Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party (OUR) shortly after the election.

[9] Wale challenged Sogavare's eligibility to serve as prime minister in court, claiming he was ineligible as he registered his party after the election, in breach of the electoral act.

[14] Sogavare's return as prime minister resulted in riots in Honiara, stemming from public frustration over the lack of citizen involvement with government formation.

[21] Opposition Leader Matthew Wale called for Sogavare to do "the honourable thing and resign" and announced he would file a no-confidence motion if the prime minister refused.

[25] Reportedly, a part of his "friends to all, enemy to none" foreign policy, Prime Minister Sogavare believed that the pact would benefit Solomon Islands by providing the country with more stability, which would attract more investors and result in further development.

These countries, along with others in the region, also feared how the agreement might allow China to establish a military base in Solomon Islands, which both Honiara and Beijing denied.

Disqualifications included holding dual citizenship, being executives or members of the Electoral Commission, having an undischarged bankruptcy, being imprisoned for more than six months, or being under a death sentence.

Individuals disqualified from voting include those that have committed a breach of the electoral law, been declared insane, been imprisoned for more than six months, or were under a death sentence.

[28] The 2018 electoral act introduced pre-polling, open to polling staff and police officers that are to provide security for voting centres on election day.

[33][34] As Solomon Islands were hosting the Pacific Games in 2023, Sogavare said the election delay was necessary, arguing the country could not afford to hold two major events in the same year as it was still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 unrest.

Opposition Leader Wale said the prime minister had "succeeded in making [Solomon Islands] the laughing stock of the region, as a country that is prepared to tamper with its own constitution for a two-week event, against the clear wishes of its people".

However, many voters were more concerned about domestic matters, including medicine shortages in clinics throughout the country, education, the poor quality of roads, the cost of living and the national debt.

[62][63] Transparency Solomon Islands head Ruth Liloqula criticised the contesting parties for running campaigns "mainly based on foreign policies" and called on them to give more attention to domestic issues.

[59] During a campaign rally in the Malaitan provincial capital of Auki, Sogavare delivered a speech where he praised the Chinese political system and declared his government's decision to switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China to have "put Solomon Islands on the map".

Wale stressed the coalition would ultimately prioritise the national interests of Solomon Islands and ensure that consultation with the public would occur before making foreign policy decisions.

The party also pledged to address gender inequality and focus on youth-related issues;[74][76] U4C aimed to establish an education program on employment to decrease youth unemployment.

[55] The Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA), led by former Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo,[25] pledged to provide additional resources to assist the anti-corruption commission.

[54] The party also sought to preserve relations with traditional development partners, although Kenilorea warned that Solomon Islands should not hold them as the country's sole saviours.

[80] The UP called for a diversification of the economy and warned that the country's reliance on limited income streams, especially logging exports, left Solomon Islands vulnerable to external economic crises.

[81] A week before the election, Russia's state-owned Sputnik news agency published an article featuring anonymous claims that the United States and USAID were planning an "electoral coup" in Solomon Islands, which were repeated by the Chinese Communist Party newspaper Global Times.

Opposition MP Peter Kenilorea Jr. denounced the DCGA government's response as "extremely unhelpful" and claimed it was evidence of Sogavare attempting to hold onto power.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong denied the allegation and pointed to Australia having supported previous elections in the Solomon Islands.

[84] The Solomon Islands government allocated approximately SI$40 million to fund the national, provincial and Honiara City Council elections.

[85] On 25 March 2024, New Zealand announced that it would deploy the Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Canterbury to transport two helicopters and crew, along with command and maintenance personnel, to the Solomon Islands as part of a NZ$10.8 million ($6.48 million) support program for the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission agreed upon in January that would help transport election officers and materials across the archipelago.

[87][62] Pre-polling was held on 5 April in Honiara for electoral officials and police officers providing security for polling stations on election day.

[88] On 8 April, Home Affairs Minister Christopher Laore announced that election day would be a public holiday to ensure a smoother electoral process.

[105] In Malaita Province, former Premier Daniel Suidani, who was removed from his position following a no-confidence vote in the Provincial Assembly in 2023, was re-elected, while his successor, Martin Fini, lost his seat.

[114] Ruth Liloqula, the chief executive of Transparency Solomon Islands, claimed many MPs were changing affiliation, motivated by personal and political gain rather than by policies and principles.