More early voters’ turnout for runoff race

More people voted early in the CNMI for the gubernatorial runoff race between Gov. Eloy S. Inos/Ralph DLG. Torrres and Heinz Hofschneider/Ray N. Yumul compared to the Nov. 4 general election.

As this developed, some early voters find this gubernatorial runoff process a burden that should be eliminated.

Vicente N. Santos, 81, and his wife, Magdalena, 78, check their bag after voting early for the gubernatorial runoff race at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe yesterday afternoon. Santos said the runoff is a burden to voters and should be eliminated. (Ferdie de la Torre)

Commonwealth Election Commission executive director Robert A. Guerrero told Saipan Tribune yesterday that there’s a lot more early voters in the runoff race than in the general election so far.

Guerrero said he has no exact figures yet as to how many voted yesterday, but that they were already exceeding 3,000.

Early voting will continue until Thursday. In the last early voting for the general election, there were 3,800 early voters.

Guerrero said early voting for the runoff has been smooth since the process kicked off on Friday.

“More people are showing up and it’s faster,” said Guerrero, adding that the additional booths that they put up at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe may have helped the flow and avoided crowding.

He said they are now prepared for the runoff this Friday.

Vicente Santos, 81, and his wife, Magdalena, 78, were among the early voters yesterday afternoon at the Multi-Purpose Center. The couple also voted early during the general election.

While Santos commended the early voting process for being convenient to a lot of people, especially to the elderly, he is against this runoff process.

“We should get rid of this runoff because it’s too much of a burden for the people,” he said.

The runoff election also involves more expenses of government funds, he said.

“It’s a hassle. That’s my opinion,” he added.

Santos emphasized that this runoff must be eliminated because “it’s really useless and it’s taking people’s time.”

Santos is a former vice chairman of the Marianas Political Status Commission that negotiated the Covenant with the U.S. government.

Alvin Joseph Cepeda, 47, a retired government employee, is also not in favor of the runoff.

Cepeda said majority rules and that people already voted and voiced their concerns during the general election. He said he voted early again like in the general election because it’s his civic duty.

Cepeda admitted that he is not fully aware of the runoff election law that requires 50 percent plus one vote in order for a gubernatorial bet to avoid a runoff race.

Cepeda said he likes the early voting process because it alleviates the pressure from family and other people in going to polling precincts during election day.