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So far, 48 file candidacies with Election Commission
Over 16K voters registered already, more expected
With several bets filing their certificates of candidacy and the deadline looming in just another six days, the CNMI Commission on Elections is urging candidates for the November elections to file their candidacies already.
The deadline for the submission of nominating petitions and candidacy is on Aug. 6, which is 90 days before the November election.
Election Commission executive director Robert A. Guerrero said they anticipate more to come in based on the number of individuals who have shown an interest in seeking public office this election.
“So far, about 48 candidacies have been turned in,” Guerrero said.
Democratic gubernatorial bets Edward Deleon Guerrero and running mate Daniel Quitugua recently filed their candidacies, along with nine other Democratic bets that include their candidate for CNMI nonvoting delegate to Congress, Andrew Salas, one senatorial candidate, Saipan and Tinian mayoral candidates, and four Precinct 1 bets.
On July 16, former governor Juan Nekai Babauta and former senator Juan Sablan Torres filed their candidacies for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, along with one Precinct 1 bet, Benjamin Cepeda.
Incumbent Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Senate President Ralph Torres (R-Saipan) led 26 Republican candidates in filing their candidacies on July 10, including four mayoral candidates for Tinian, Saipan, Rota, and Northern Islands, six senatorial candidates, four for Precinct 1, two for Precinct 2, five for Precinct 3, and one each from Precincts 4 to 7.
With three gubernatorial candidates filing already, the only who has yet to do so is former speaker Heinz Hofschneider and Senate floor leader Ray Yumul (Ind-Saipan).
Other candidates that have filed separately include the attorney general bets and municipal council bets.
According to Guerrero, about 16,738 voters have registered to vote as of July 23.
“More continue to come in and register on a daily basis and we expect that trend to continue through the closure of registration on Sept. 5. In addition, we also continue to receive registration packets by mail,” he said.
Guerrero said the absentee ballot period would start 75 days before the election.
