U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Thomas Hicks, fourth left, front row, poses for a photo with members of the local House of Representatives as well as officials of the Commonwealth Election Commission and the Guam Election Commission in the CNMI House chamber on Tuesday.
U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Thomas Hicks on Tuesday met with members of the House of Representatives and fielded questions pertaining to voter access.
Hicks was accompanied by Commonwealth Election Commission Chairman Jesus I. Sablan, CEC Executive Director Kayla S. Igitol, Guam Election Commissioners Benny Pinaula and Jose P. Mafnas, and Executive Director Maria Pangelinan.
Appointed by former President Barack Obama, Hicks is one of the four federal election commissioners. He serves as the designated federal officer of the Standards Board and focuses his efforts on voter access.
In an interview after the meeting, he said it was Pangelinan who asked him to visit the islands and learn how elections are conducted in the CNMI and Guam.
He said he has also visited the nation’s 50 states and has talked with the voters in each of them.
He said during one of his state visits, he was asked, “Why don’t you come to the territories as well because, guess what, people there are U.S. citizens, too,”
Hicks agreed, saying that federal election officials should also visit Guam and the CNMI “to see how things are run,” and to talk to legislators to share ideas.
Among the issues he discussed with CNMI House members on Tuesday were voter access for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens.
“Should they be able to vote independently and privately? Yes,” Hicks said, adding that his office, “does a lot to ensure that people with disabilities can do that.”
As for election funds that the CNMI can apply for, Hicks said these are formula-based. But, he said, “we will ensure that if the CNMI is eligible for those funds, then they’ll get those funds.”
