$18K to get 10 votes in NI

If there is a gubernatorial runoff race, the Commonwealth Election Commission will spend a total of $18,000 for the boat trips to the Northern Islands just to get the votes of nine to 10 people there, according to CEC executive director Robert A. Guerrero.

Guerrero disclosed that, similar to what they did in the 2012 elections, they will charter a boat or a ship for the Northern Islands’ voters this November general election.

The vessel’s roundtrip cost is $9,000.

If there is a runoff election, Guerrero said they will need to spend another $9,000 for the vessel as they will have to return to the Northern Islands.

If none of the four gubernatorial teams garner at least 50 percent plus one of the votes cast, then there will be a gubernatorial runoff race.

Guerrero said that during the 2009 election, CEC spent $14,000 to rent a helicopter just to get the votes of only four people in the Northern Islands.

“The cost to administer votes for Northern Islands is almost the same cost to administer the Tinian and Rota votes,” he said.

The Northern Islands have 165 registered voters, but most of them are on Saipan.

For Tinian and Rota, Guerrero said they will get the ballot boxes using chartered planes that will cost $2,000 for Rota, and less than a thousand for Tinian.

Early voting for registered voters in the Northern Islands started last Sept. 20 but since no vessel from Saipan has gone to Pagan, Alamagan, and other islands where the voters are, CEC has yet to facilitate their voting.

Early voting for Northern Islands voters who are currently on Saipan will begin on Oct. 28, which is simultaneous with early voting for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

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ELECTION DAY POLLING SITES

The following sites are the designated polling stations for the 2014 general election, special election and if needed, the 2014 run-off election:
Precinct 1A (San Antonio) Hopwood Junior High School
Precinct 1B (San Vicente) Dandan School
Precinct 1C (Koblerville) Koblerville Youth Center
Precinct 2 (Chalan Kanoa/Susupe) Joeten Kiyu Public Library
Precinct 3A (Oleai Area) Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium
Precinct 3B (Garapan Area) Garapan Elementary School (Northern Entrance)
Precinct 4A (Tanapag) Tanapag School
Precinct 4B (San Roque Area) Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School
Precinct 4C (Capital Hill Area) Jesus P. Mafnas Legislative Building
Precinct 4D (Northern Islands) Northern Islands (Alamagan, Pagan, Agrihan, etc.)
Precinct 5 (Kagman Area) Kagman Elementary School
Precinct 6 (Tinian) Tinian Elementary School
Precinct 7 (Rota) NMC Campus Rota
Polling stations on election day will open at 7am and close at 7pm pursuant to 1 CMC Section 6522. This also applies to the runoff election, if needed.

EARLY VOTING POLLING SITES

The following sites are the designated polling stations for the early voting period for the 2014 general election (and special election for Saipan only) pursuant to 1 CMC Section 6221. Early voting for the 2014 general election commences on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014, and ends on Monday, Nov. 3, 2014, inclusive of weekends and holidays (Northern Island only, commenced on Sept. 20, 2014).

The sites are as follows:
Saipan Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center, Susupe

Tinian Tinian Department of Public Safety Building

Rota Rota Department of Public Safety Building

Northern Islands Northern Islands (Alamagan, Pagan, Agrihan, etc..)

Polling stations for the early voting days will open at 8:30am and close at 4pm daily pursuant to 1 CMC Section 6522. Registered voters temporarily residing on the island different from where they are voting must cast their vote during the early voting period on the island they are temporarily located (such as Northern Island, Rota or Tinian residents temporarily on Saipan). Early voting will also apply to the runoff election, if needed, but actual dates will be announced at a later time. (CEC)