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DUE TO BAD WEATHER N. Islands’ voters fail to cast votes By MAR-VIC CAGURANGAN
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Posted on Nov 08 1999
Voters in the Northern Islands failed to participate in Saturday’s electoral exercise due to bad weather, Board of Elections Executive Director Gregorio Sablan said.
Sablan said the helicopter which was supposed to carry the election ballots and election officers who would conduct the polls could not fly because of heavy rains.
At least 15 voters were not able to cast their votes in the Northern Islands, including Agrihan and Anatahan, Sablan said.
“We were ready to go, but the helicopter refused to fly. We had made arrangements, but there was nothing we could do about the weather,” Sablan said.
He said the elections board could not find an alternative to address the situation. “If we had an option, we would have done that,” Sablan said.
While 15 votes may not spell any difference in the results of the elections, Sablan said he was disappointed over the Northern islands voters’ failure to cast their ballots.
“It might not change the results of the elections, but every vote is important because everyone has the right to vote,” Sablan said.
He did not say, however, if the board would call for a special election in the remote islands.
Asked if he expected any protest from the disenfranchised voters, Sablan said that the elections board could not be faulted for something beyond its control.
“It was an act of God,” Sablan said.
