Big turnout as early voting starts

The Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe was swarmed with voters as the seven-day early voting kicked off yesterday at 8:30am. The first day of early voting was smooth and peaceful on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

“We’re expecting a big turnout for early voting, but we did not expect this big turnout on the first day, this morning for that matter,” Commonwealth Election Commission executive director Robert A. Guerrero said, referring to Saipan’s situation.

Guerrero told Saipan Tribune last night that 591 voted early on Saipan, 29 on Tinian, and 36 on Rota.

He said they were expecting early voters to gradually come, similar to previous elections.

When told that some voters complained of waiting for four hours before they were called in, Guerrero said he isn’t surprised because a lot of people came in the morning even before the 8:30 opening.

He said they divided the voters into two separate lines and the elderly and sickly ones were accommodated first as common courtesy.

Mary Castro, 54, said the early voting process was fast as she waited only 10 minutes to be allowed to get in and cast her vote.

Castro said it was her first time to vote early and that she did it just to make sure in case she can’t make it on Sunday or during the Nov. 4 election day.

Castro is a voter for Precinct 1 on Saipan.

A 67-year-old woman who only identified herself as Mrs. Kileleman said she also voted early in 2012 because it’s not crowded.

Mrs. Kileleman said the process yesterday was also fast because the old and sickly people like her were allowed to vote first.

Carmen Masga, 20, said she voted early because she’s from Rota. She also joined early voters in the 2012 election.

A 50-year-old native of Anatahan who identified herself as Grace was among those who fell in line yesterday shortly before noon. At that time, Grace said she’s been waiting for 45 minutes already, but some have already waited for three hours.

Grace, who has been staying on Saipan for three years now, said it’s also her first time to vote early.

Ben Pelisamen, 34, an emergency medical technician, was also among those waiting on the long line.

Pelisamen, who is a native of Anatahan, said he came at 8:30am, knowing that the early voting at multi-purpose center was only for the Northern Islands, Tinian, and Rota.

“I don’t know about Saipan. We just found out about it now,” he said.

Pelisamen said he and other people from the Northern Islands want to vote on the first day of early voting to avoid the kind of overcrowding that they, however, ended up with.

Some voters who had yet to be called in by lunchtime decided to just leave.