CNMI law only allows poll workers and supervisors from recognized political parties, but the Independent gubernatorial team has asked the Commonwealth Election Commission to make an exception for the Nov. 25 runoff election.
During the CEC’s meeting on Friday, Palacios-Apatang Committee Chair Oscar M. Babauta and legal counsel Michael Evangelista asked the election board to include Independents as poll workers and supervisors, alongside those of the recognized political parties in the CNMI.
“We appeal to all of you, the commissioners, to see if we can avail ourselves of poll workers in the runoff election,” said Babauta, a former House speaker.
“This is just to preserve the integrity…of the runoff election in the next couple of weeks. We humbly request your consideration in granting us this request. It is our team’s fervent hope that your decision will be in favor of our request,” Babauta added.
Evangelista said, “Current regulation allows for poll workers from unrecognized parties or candidates. It is very clear in the regulation that that is allowed.”
He added, “Because this is the first time that our Commonwealth has experienced this where we have a recognized party versus an unrecognized party, I think to dispel any concerns after the election, [to] dispel any conspiracy theories, I think that it would be in the [CNMI’s] best interest. It’s been a long election period. We don’t want to extend it any further than it should be.”
In the 2014 runoff election, the Republican team of then-Gov. Eloy S. Inos and his running mate, then-Senate President Ralph DLG Torres, defeated the Independent team of Heinz S. Hofschneider and Ray N. Yumul.
In the CNMI’s first runoff election in 2009, the Covenant Party’s Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and running mate Eloy S. Inos defeated the Republican tandem of Heinz S. Hofschneider and Arnold I. Palacios.
Election board chair Jesus I. Sablan said the CEC will discuss the Independent team’s request with the commission’s legal counsel before making a final decision.
“We’re looking at the law. We just have to comply with the law,” he added.
Sablan said the board could not decide on the matter during Friday’s special session because it was not part of the meeting agenda.
“We cannot act on anything that is not included on the agenda,” he said. “I requested [CEC Executive Director Kayla S. Igitol] to seek legal opinion from our legal counsel, and if needed, we will set up a meeting to make a decision on that. It all boils down to what our legal counsel will advise us [to do]. As of right now, I have no idea whether we are going to accept [this request] or not.”
At the multi-purpose center on election night, Nov. 8, representatives of the Republican, Democratic and Independent teams observed the tabulation of votes, which ended at past 4 p.m. on Nov. 9.
Independent campaign committee chair Oscar M. Babauta speaks to the Commonwealth Election Commission board during a meeting on Friday at the Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center.
Independent poll observers Pete P. Reyes and Joe Pangelinan at the multi-purpose center on election night, Nov. 8, 2022.
NMI Democratic Party poll observers Daniel Quitugua and Stephen Woodruff at the multi-purpose center on election night, Nov. 8, 2022.
NMI Republican Party poll observers Candace Celis, Rufin Inos and James Ada at the multi-purpose center on election night, Nov. 8, 2022.
