THE Commonwealth Election Commission on Friday certified the results of the Nov. 8 general elections and the Nov. 25 runoff election after tabulating the provisional absentee ballots at the multi-purpose center.
Five of the seven election commissioners were present. Two were off-island.
The sorting and tabulation of 78 provisional absentee ballots started at around 1:30 p.m. At 5:10 p.m., CEC Executive Director Kayla Igitol announced that the election results had been certified.
Also present during the tabulation were representatives from the Office of the Public Auditor, the Office of the Attorney General and former Speaker Oscar M. Babauta, the chair of the Palacios-Apatang campaign committee.
Independent gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and his running mate, Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, received 56 of the provisional absentee ballots while Republican Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and running mate Senate Floor Leader Vinnie F. Sablan got 22.
Palacios and Apatang, who will be sworn in on Jan. 9, 2023, received a grand total of 7,394 votes or 54.1% of the votes cast, while Torres and Sablan garnered 6,263 votes or 45.9%.
Gov.-elect Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov.-elect David M. Apatang
