Previous Story
Torres extends deadline for absentee voting
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signed Friday House Bill 19-204 to extend the deadline and procedure for absentee ballots. The bill is now known as Public Law 19-70 just three days after the Senate passed it on first and final reading without amendments on Oct. 25.
PL 19-70 suspends 1 CMC 6213 where all absentee ballots must be received on or before Election Day—in this case on Nov. 8. There was fear that this was too close, that absentee voters would not have enough time to send back their ballots. The Commonwealth Election Commission just sent all 1,564 absentee ballots last week.
The new law now gives enough time for absentee voters to return the ballots after they’ve voted.
Rep. Felicidad T. Ogumoro (R-Saipan) introduced HB 19-204.
PL 19-70 also suspends the counting of all absentee ballots received on or before Nov. 8. It now allows the counting of all absentee ballots that are received on or before the 10th day after the elections, Nov. 18.
All absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Commonwealth Election Commission no later than 14 calendar days after Nov. 8.
The ballot may be rejected if the CEC finds any violation like not matching signatures, affidavit not properly completed, return envelope not sealed, seal was tampered, the commission had already received an absentee ballot from the same person, the absentee voter had already died or had become ineligible to vote, or return envelope is not postmarked on or before No. 8.
The CEC ordered 21,000 ballots with 1,564 for absentee voters. The CNMI has 17,000 registered voters.
