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3 special election candidates ‘certified by default’
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Posted on Sep 24 2014
The candidacies of three individuals for the Nov. 4 special election to fill a Senate seat vacated by former Saipan senator Ray Yumul were “certified by default” on Monday, Commonwealth Election Commission executive director Robert A. Guerrero said.
That’s because the election commission board didn’t have a quorum.
The three candidates are Commerce Secretary Sixto Igisomar of the Republican Party, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. board trustee Roy Rios as an independent bet, and former Fire chief Jesus M. Castro, also as an independent candidate.
The three candidates met all the requirements so the commission didn’t raise any red flag that could have resulted in a recommendation not to certify any of them.
Guerrero said the commission has already notified Gov. Eloy S. Inos of the certification by default. Also notified were the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Finance.
The special election coincides with the Nov. 4 general elections. The CNMI is also headed for a third election in November—that of a gubernatorial runoff race if none of the four gubernatorial teams get at least 50 percent plus one of the votes cast.
For the general elections, there are now nearly 18,000 registered voters, a record-breaking number for the CNMI. As of Sept. 22, the actual number was 17,987 and the election commission ordered some 20,000 ballots.
For the special election with some 15,000 Saipan voters, some 17,000 ballots will be printed.
