First-time voters want honesty

Majority of first-time voters—most of them with mixed parentage—trooped yesterday to polling areas throughout the island to take part in the 2016 general elections. As nervous as some first-time voters may be, most concluded that one trait is crucial to gain their votes—honesty.

Joy Kimiko Tenorio, 18 and a student of NMC, thinks that integrity is something that can either make or break a politician.

“This is very stereotypical, but [a politician must be] someone who doesn’t lie, someone who doesn’t make policies and promises that they can’t keep,” said Tenorio.

Tenorio was born with Filipino, Chamorro, and Japanese blood.

“I just want honesty,” she added.

Kekoa Ruak, who is half-Carolinian, half-Chuukese and a first-time voter, also thinks that integrity is important.

“A lot of politicians are really corrupt. I want to see who [is] not that corrupt and heed the words, ‘by the people, for the people.’ I just kept that in mind and I’ve been going to rallies and hearing people talk about themselves. Some of them sounded really convincing, but I think the people that I voted for are pretty good people,” said Ruak.

Northern Marianas College freshman and first-time voter Jason Bonachita said his parents are on the island through a CW visa. When asked if both his parents influenced his vote, he said they didn’t.

“It was all me. They just told me little details about the people who are running,” he said. “I didn’t really read about the people who are going to support this island and how it’s going to affect it, but I just voted for the ones that I basically know.”

Rachelle Cunanan Manlapaz, 18, thought the voting process was easy and that the only difficulty she faced when it came to voting was that she was not too aware of all of the candidates.

Unlike the others, Manlapaz’s parents influenced her vote. Being a daughter of Filipino parents, she said that part of her vote revolved around the thoughts of the ongoing CW issue.

Just like the others, however, Manlapaz thinks that honesty is something that every politician must have in order to obtain her vote.

“I look for honesty and they should live by their words,” she said.

Another first time voter, a 19-year-old, said that she got an idea on who to vote for from her family, but claims that her vote was not influenced by them. She said the experience of voting was “good.”

“I think I made the right choices,” she said.

When asked about the qualities that are most important to her, she said, “I think they [politicians] should be honest and truthful. They should stick to their word. I think that’s what they should do.”

Other first-time voters, such as Philip Alejo, 18, felt nervous about the election.

“I was kind of stressed because I actually have to vote and it will affect me and my community,” he said.

Alejo’s choice for voting was looking at candidates individually before judging who deserved his vote based on their achievements.

“I chose based on how it will affect future generations,” he said.

Carl Pagcaliwagan, 18, said the voting process was “not that bad.”

“There are two that I was actually interested in, so I voted for them. The rest I’m not so sure. I just saw their names so I voted,” he said.

When asked whether his family influenced his vote, Pagcaliwagan said, “No, they just told to me to exercise my right to vote. They never told me who to vote for. They just told me to vote for whomever I think is okay.”