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GOP confident IT will get lion’s share of absentee votes
The NMI Republican Party ticket of Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Senate President Ralph DLG. Torres is confident of getting the lion’s share of the votes when absentee ballots are finally counted today by the Commonwealth Election Commission.
CEC will retrieve the absentee ballots from the U.S. Postal Service today and count them to finally put a close to the Nov. 21 runoff where Inos/Torres was challenged by the independent pair of former House speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider and former Senate floor leader Ralph N. Yumul.
“The Inos/Torres team wishes to express its heartfelt appreciation to our families, friends, and strong supporters residing outside the CNMI for their unconditional support during the general and runoff elections. Based on the 52 percent that the IT team received from the strong support from our absentee voters during the general election, we are confident the same level of support, to be counted today, will remain steadfast,” said GOP media coordinator Ivan Blanco in an email to Saipan Tribune.
While the GOP tandem is confident of victory in the runoff, Blanco nonetheless said the governor and Senate president are extending an olive branch to the camp of Hofschneider and Yumul.
“We look forward to the final count and certification of the ballots as well as working together with Mr. Hofschneider, Mr. Yumul, and their supporters to move our CNMI forward. We have much work ahead of us and together, through collaboration, communication, and cooperation we can achieve much, much more. This holiday season is not a time to turn against each other, but rather a time that we turn toward each other for peace, progress, and prosperity,” added Blanco.
The NMI Republic Party tandem amassed a 1,599-vote lead against Hofschneider and Yumul during preliminary count last Nov. 21.
GOP campaign manager Jason Obsorne earlier said that Hofschneider/Yumul has to get 87 percent of the 2,300 or so absentee ballots sent out by CEC in order to overtake Inos/Torres’ lead.
