Runoff election on Nov. 25

Commonwealth Election Commission executive director Kayla S. Igitol discusses her report before the CEC board during a special meeting at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe Friday afternoon. Also in the photo, to Igitol’s right, is CEC’s legal counsel, assistant attorney general Charles Reyes. The CEC board approved Nov. 25, 2022 as the day of the runoff election. The board also certified the tabulation results of the Nov. 8 general elections. (FERDIE DE LA TORRE)

The Commonwealth Election Commission board has set Nov. 25, 2022, as the runoff election day that will see the CNMI choosing between Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and his running mate, Sen. Vinnie Vinson F. Sablan (R-Saipan), and the team of Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and his running mate, Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang.

At the CEC board special meeting last Friday at the Pedro P. Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe, the CEC board also approved a resolution certifying the results of the Nov. 8, 2022, general elections.

CEC executive director Kayla S. Igitol said that Palacios-Apatang will be No. 1 on the runoff election ballot, while the Torres-Sablan pair will be No. 2.

The drawing of the gubernatorial candidates’ slot on the ballots was held at the CEC’s office Friday morning. Palacios, Apatang, and Sablan, along with some of their supporters, showed up at the drawing.

Torres-Sablan of the Republican Party topped the general elections, but failed to gain a majority share of the votes cast on Nov. 8, 2022, paving the way for a runoff race against Palacios-Apatang of the unified independent team.

Based on the CEC’s official tabulation results, Torres-Sablan received 5,728 votes, including two more votes that were counted Friday, or 38.83% of the total votes cast. Palacios-Apatang obtained 4,890 votes, or 33.15% of the total votes cast.

The Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidates, Rep. Christina E. Sablan and Rep. Leila Haveia F. Staffler, got 4,132 votes, or 28.01% of the total votes cast.

In the CEC board’s special meeting Friday, the board set the early voting period from Nov. 18 to 24. Dec. 9 is the last day to receive runoff election absentee ballots.

CEC said that email requests for absentee ballots will not be accepted.

CEC said all voters that requested an absentee ballot during the general election will automatically receive a runoff absentee ballot.

CEC board chair Jesus I. Sablan said in an interview that he has not heard of any allegations of fraud, that the tabulations delay was “unfortunate” and that one issue that delayed the tallying was the processing of absentee ballots.

“Just imagine opening the envelope, making sure that they comply with instructions. One instruction is that they sign the affidavit,” he said.

The chairman said he has already instructed the commissioners to come with ideas on what to do to make tabulations faster during general elections and that one example is minimizing the processing.

At the CEC board special meeting, Igitol said that absentee packages are being prepared and a list of those who failed to vote in the 2022 general election is being worked on.

Igitol said arrangement for the charter flights to Tinian and Rota for the runoff is also in the works.

She said Public School System schools as polling sites, and bus transportation have been approved for the runoff.

Igitol said a charter boat to get the eight votes from the Northern Islands is being worked on.

She, however, asked the board if they would consider using Department of Public Safety boat to bring the CEC team to the Northern Islands for early voting and on election day if they come to that point because of the short span of time remaining to get a purchase order and three quotes to charter a vessel.

In a later interview, Igitol said they have to send the absentee ballots as soon as possible after they get the ballots printed locally.

“We have 14 days after the runoff to receive those absentees back, and then the board will be able to tabulate it and then certify the results for the runoff,” she said.

She said they are not using the tabulating machines because the ballots are going to be printed locally.

“I don’t have time to order those ballots [from Nebraska] and get it shipped over on time,” Igitol said.

With respect to two additional ballots that they counted manually Friday, Igitol said those are two provisional ballots that the board later found to be good and therefore were processed and counted.

Igitol said the counting of the runoff election results will be done manually and should be faster because there are only two set of candidates. She said the board will do the tabulation.

Regarding the delays in the tabulation results on Tuesday and Wednesday, Igitol said that, aside from the padlock issue, what caused the delays were the process of absentee ballots and also the ballots that were not marked correctly.

She said the tabulating machine spit out those ballots that were not marked correctly, so each one had to go through the board so they could look at what the voters intended. “That took time,” she said.

Regarding the padlock issue, Igitol said she wants the public to know that CEC does not possess any ballot keys. (See related story on Page 3)

As this time around they will be doing a hand count, Igitol said voters should mark the ballots correctly.