Previous Story
Ada-Hocog bill now goes to governor
|
Posted on Sep 14 2005
The Senate approved yesterday the House of Representatives’ amendment to a bill that aims to amend the election law to include a provision that placement of candidates on the ballot be done by political affiliations.
This change made in Senate Bill 14-96 will not be effective in this year’s election but in elections after 2005. Right now, the placement of candidates’ names on the ballot is done through a lottery.
Meantime, the bill’s main intent, which is to remove certain restrictions on candidates seeking House electoral seats will take effect immediately upon signing by the governor, lawmakers said.
The proposal is also dubbed as the Rose Ada-Hocog bill because it would allow her to pursue her candidacy for a House seat representing Precinct 1 in this year’s election.
The Election Commission earlier refused to certify the candidacy of Ada-Hocog after finding that she was not a registered voter in the 2003 midterm election.
S.B. 14-96 aims to amend section 6303, Title 1 of the Commonwealth Code to remove the provision requiring a candidate for a House seat to be “a registered voter and a resident of the election precinct where he or she is a candidate for at least two years immediately preceding the date of election.”
The bill, authored by Senate majority leader Paul Manglona, said such a restriction imposed on House candidates is not imposed on other candidates such as the senatorial candidates and mayoral candidates.
It said that the Republican form of government functions best, and the people are best served, “when legislators are popularly elected in spirited contests in which the people are free to choose from the widest range of qualified candidates.”
The bill now goes to the governor for signing.
